Chronicles of the Stars 4: Epidemic
by Deliverer
Summary: Blood red skies, brown and dark clouds, moaning and groaning figures staggering through the dark. All is not well in the world of Mario. After a Kart Tournament something happened to the world they know, and now it's a matter of surviving and finding the cure. But with danger lurking on all sides, will the group of 21 even have the chance to save their world, or will they fall?
1. Outbreak

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: It's been a long time since I last did a Mario story, and I have a request from one person still pending from a year or two, or three, ago. For that I'm sorry, both to the reader and to the people who liked my stories. I'll try to fit that request into this one. It's sort of a darker take than usually do, but then my last Mario story was darker as well, so it's not a huge shocker. I link all my Mario stories so this is a continuation. I might go back, someday, to the last three I did and make some majorly needed corrections to them. I've developed quite a bit as a writer since I started writing on Fan Fiction, my first ever story being _Super Mario Galaxy: Reach for the Stars_. Anyway, a lot of my older stories need revamping.

This one will be labelled horror, but it's not the kind of horror you're used to reading with other writers on this site doing Mario slasher type things. For instance, I cut out gore for the sake of character development and story progression, so this will likely move way slower than most other zombie/slasher Mario stories on this site, though there are a few that aren't gore and death driven. There will be people 'dying' in this yes; however, seeing as I'm going for a series like continuation with this, and always have, the chances they'll stay dead forever are low. Other than that, it's pretty well still a 'who will survive who will die' feel. I've always wanted to read a horror where a certain group of four lives to the end, or even a different certain group of eight or nine, but haven't found one as of yet. So here I am, attempting to make one. Anyway, it's sort of a practice in a way. Those of you who have read previous Mario stories of mine probably will have a good idea as to who will survive the longest and who won't, though to be honest a lot of the characters I really like and work with will end up falling pretty early on. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.)

The Infected

The Mushroom Kingdom was quiet. Shops were closed left, right, and center. Hardly anyone could be seen milling about on the streets. If they were out for any reason it was to buy medicine for themselves or loved ones. Warning was flying around about an outbreak. The hospitals were packed, overflowing even. Peach was at a loss. It had only been a week since the Mario Kart race when it had all started. She sighed in frustration and looked to the blank sheets of paper on her desk. She went to them. For a moment she observed, then her eyes became resolved and she sat, picking up a quill. It was time to write to her friends. Surely _some_ remnant remained alive and uninfected. If this was so, she wanted them near to her; preferably in her palace where they could be protected.

SMB

Luigi stood under the brown sky, eyes closed. Suddenly he opened them and said, "So we meet again… Waluigi."

Waluigi's eyes opened slowly and he evilly chuckled, eyes glowing a wicked purple. "Luigi, you're a getting in over your head."

"Let's end this," Luigi challenged, leaning forward.

"Gladly!" Waluigi shot. There was a tense pause then suddenly the two sprang! They rolled on the ground fighting and insulting each other until suddenly they heard a car horn being blared! They looked up from the battle in time to cry out in alarm and cling to each other, eyes shut as it bore down on them.

To their surprise, they only felt wind as the car blew right by. Angrily the driver shouted, "Get off the road!" Luigi and Waluigi managed to open their eyes and look blankly after it as it went down the hill into the lower part of the suburban area. The two then noticed they were holding each other and let go in horror, brushing themselves off.

They rose, looking out over the empty land, feeling the muggy air pressing down on them beneath the dusty and sickly looking, sky. Not even the _clouds_ were smiling anymore, and _that_ was _saying_ something. They were, in fact, shades of black, red, grey, and brown, not even a fluffy white anymore. In the distance stood the silhouette of the palace. Luigi frowned. They hadn't seen anyone from there since the Mario Kart race a little over a week ago. In fact, Daisy hadn't even visited yet, which was odd because though she had a kingdom to run herself, she made it a point to visit at least once every week. He couldn't _understand_ it. Unless her father ordered her to stay in Sarasaland… but why would he do _that_? Rosalina hadn't made an appearance either, and Mona's absence from Wario Ware in Diamond City was definitely getting on Wario's nerves.

Waluigi began grumbling. He had been more restless, rebellious, quiet, and distant than usual after a fight with Rosalina at the tracks, Luigi knew. Rosalina who had sharply and mercilessly put him in his place while somehow still managing to remain sounding sympathetic yet monotonous, after the purple clad man had attempted to drown Luigi in a fountain. The oddities occurring now were making it steadily worse. Currently the cousins were gathered at Mario's house. Now that would normally never _ever_ happen in a million years unless some dire life-threatening situation manifested itself, but with so many strange things going on… Let's just say it was a hint of normality in a world they hardly even _knew_ anymore. Diamond City had been unusually quiet as well. So had Kong Island, Bean Kingdom, the Darklands, and any _other_ lands that they'd ever heard of. Reports were pouring in from everywhere. This pandemic had gone global.

The sky began to darken. Luigi's smirk fell. It was getting darker and darker, and was that a twinge of blood red he was seeing? He didn't like it, he didn't trust it. It frightened him and made everyone else uneasy. When animals began fleeing you knew something was wrong, and pets had been going missing _steadily_. The wildlife was virtually nonexistent anymore. They heard a crow cawing darkly and looked up at an oak tree. Both younger men shivered. That oak used to be the most beautiful tree in Toad Town. Now it was the single most terrifying thing _around_. The crow glared at them and they paled. Its eyes were red! They'd come to learn quickly enough that red was the sign of the virus, or whatever it was spreading throughout their world.

Waluigi paused mid-grumble to stare open mouthed as a large dog limped out of the woods, growling and foaming at the mouth! It had gone missing only yesterday. There had been posters posted everywhere asking if anyone had seen it. Luigi was shaking now. The green clad plumber could hardly gasp before the dog began to viciously bark and charge at them! "Wa!" Waluigi exclaimed in shock.

"Run!" Luigi cried out in terror. The two exchanged glances then tore down the hill towards Mario and Luigi's!

SMB

Mario and Wario, meanwhile, were standing outside of the house. Right now Mario and Wario were working on Wario's bike and Mario's car. Mario was scratching the back of his head looking puzzled while Wario bent over the car's engine looking intent yet still confused. Finally he smiled, chuckled, did some quick work, then stood up straight slamming down the lid and wiping his hands on a cloth. A satisfied grin spread across his face as Mario looked on in shock. He had to give his rival credit. When it came to mechanics, Wario completely lost his stupidity persona and in fact showed degrees of _brilliance_. Perhaps he would even dare say genius. His yellow hatted rival may have played the idiot in most regards, but this type of work and treasure hunting was his element. When properly motivated, Wario showed the true extent of his mental capacities.

Suddenly the two heard their brothers' screams and sharply looked in the direction of the voices, instantly alert. "Mario, Wario!" the two were crying out in terror as they raced up to them.

"What's-a going on here?" Wario wondered.

"It looks important," Mario replied, though he was at as much of a loss as _Wario_ was.

"Mario!" Luigi exclaimed as he and Waluigi slid to a halt. "B-big dog, infected, foaming, chasing!"

"There it is!" Waluigi cried out, pointing back.

"Mama Mia!" Mario exclaimed. Sure enough there, racing towards them, was a huge dog!

"Oh no," Wario said. "We can't-a even get a _vacation_?" They braced themselves when suddenly soldier toads swept in from nowhere, dropping a cage on the beast. The four cried out in terror. Wait, the Toad soldiers? The military? They felt sick suddenly. Peach never sent them out, _ever_, unless the situation was truly dire. What did the girl know that they didn't?

SMB

"What's-a going on here?" Mario asked.

"Princess's orders, Mario. Curfew is in effect, soldiers have been given almost complete authority over everything. Diamond city has been under control of the military for some time already. The beans are reacting the same, and the Yoshi's and the Kong's. Sarasaland is under martial law as well," the toad declared gravely.

"M-m-martial _law_?" Luigi tightly asked.

"Within reason," the toad confirmed solemnly. "This outbreak… it's worse than you know. People are going crazy and attacking others, limping like… like they're in a trance. Like they're dead but not. No one's died, Mario, _no_ one! They're just… _semi_-dead? If that makes sense."

"The undead," Waluigi eerily said, trying to freak out a now cowering Luigi. Luigi groaned and pulled his hat over his eyes, shrinking behind Mario. Mario shot Waluigi a warning look.

"The thing is spreading through… through bites, Mario, _bites_! They bite and scratch and claw until their victim is near dead. Then they stop, and the person rises again, one of them," the toad said, shaking more and more; which was sad considering he was the head of the soldiers. "There's no mercy, no mercy! Anyone even _thought_ to be infected is to be quarantined until something's figured out. The ones who are already turned… We don't want to kill them, Mario, but if this keeps up, we might _have_ to. The infected are beginning to kill off people too.

SMB

Wario looked nervous now, thinking back to Diamond City and all his employees. Professor Crygor would have the common sense to shut down should anything happen, he knew, but still… "Waluigi, we're a going to Diamond City," he suddenly declared.

"You're _leaving_?" Mario asked in surprised.

"Not a good idea. Road blocks everywhere. You should stay together," the toad stated firmly. "It's like this in all the movies! If you separate, you pay for it."

"Oh please. What's-a gonna happen?" Waluigi demanded.

"But Waluigi, Wario…" Luigi began. The two ignored and hopped onto Wario's bike, Waluigi settling into the side cart.

"We need to go get Mona," Wario declared. Waluigi cringed and shrunk down. That meant possibly facing Rosalina, whom Mona would have likely been in close contact with over this last week. It left an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He didn't like it. It made him incredibly depressed. He didn't trust depression, especially after seeing its effects on his rival. In fact, he'd even admit the thought _frightened_ him. Why didn't it terrify his cousin, he wondered? It _should_. Anyway, suffice it to say he disdained the very _notion_ of having to speak to that Cosmic Queen. They weren't on good terms since the Kart race.

"I… wouldn't advise it," the toad said.

"Why not?" Wario demanded angrily.

"Because the infection's spreading through Diamond City faster than you could _believe_," the toad timidly admitted. "This Mona you're looking for, she's probably already gone. The infection works fast. Tayce T., in Princess Toadstool's castle, hasn't woken up for _days_. Not since Toadsworth bit her and she fainted. She's been quarantined." Wario visibly blanched. Mario looked sick. _Toadsworth_? No… What had _happened_? Come to think of it, though, at the race Toadsworth _had_ mentioned being bitten by feral rats.

"No!" Luigi exclaimed.

"That's not the worst. Princess—or is it Queen?—Rosalina's friend Polari, the chocolate luma, he had bite marks on him, but he didn't fess up. Or he wouldn't. He disappeared, fled. Rosalina… she's afraid he may have gone to the observatory and that he infected the lumas accidentally," the toad General declared. "Rosalina went after him to check on her lumas and never came back.

"We're going home, _now_," Wario stated.

"Mona or no Mona," Waluigi firmly stated, glaring at his brother. Wario looked ready to protest, but finally he looked away and closed his eyes, starting the bike. Without a word more he drove off.

SMB

"G-guys…" Luigi stammered after them, reaching out helplessly though he knew they wouldn't respond. Quickly turning to Mario he exclaimed, "Mario, Peach is still in her castle, and Daisy is still in Sarasaland!"

"There has to be a way to get in to see Princess Peach!" Mario pled with the Captain of the guard. If anyone had tabs on the rest of their friends, it was her.

"No, Mario. Anyone trying to enter will be killed," the toad exclaimed in alarm.

"We-we need to contact our friends. We have to see if they're all right," Mario tightly declared.

"You can forget about the Bean Kingdom," a toad lieutenant suddenly said, getting off a radio. "It's all over. Everyone's gone. The military has failed. Same with the Darklands. There's… there's nothing. All infected. And the royal family has disappeared into thin air."

"Typical of Bowser to run away during a time of crisis," Mario bitterly said.

"Mario, he has eight _children_ to worry about protecting," Luigi defended.

"It was probably _them_," Mario stated. "They _have_ to have done this."

"I don't think this is something even _Bowser_ would do on purpose," Luigi argued. Mario paused and looked from Luigi to the toads and back. Bowing his head he turned without a word and went back into the house. Luigi cringed and followed, apologetically dismissing the soldiers. Curfew was in effect in about five minutes anyway.

SMB

Luigi cautiously approached his brother. He knew _this_ Mario all _too_ well. This was his helpless persona. The one he had when there was absolutely nothing he could do for anyone he loved. "I can't believe how fast everything went to… you know," Mario remarked, looking out the window numbly. "Right under our noses… We didn't even notice. Now it's too late."

"Come on bro, it's never too late for the Mario brothers," Luigi argued, trying to be optimistic. Usually he could switch between optimist and pessimist on a dime, at least he told himself so, but now that was proving to be incredibly difficult.

"Luigi, what are we supposed to do?" Mario asked. Luigi stared out the window at the darkening streets. They heard moaning and groaning from next door. They heard screams some doors down and shots from the soldiers.

Luigi cringed and replied hollowly, any hint of optimism gone, "Board up the windows and bolt the doors?" Mario half laughed half sobbed. Quickly the two brothers moved to do just that.


	2. Kart-astrophe

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: I'm back, see. I've missed writing Mario stories, but I lost my motivation for them big time, same with Sonic stories. Hopefully being able to come up with this will help my motivation for more Mario stories so I won't be abandoning this archive like before. I'm hoping to get my Sonic ones on a roll again too. Enjoy. Opening paragraph is sort of loosely based on a picture by an artist on deviantart. If I knew the name I'd say. Wendy's partner for the Kart race is Parakarry because she was sort of the odd one out. I would have put her with Iggy and Ludwig with Junior, but Bowser always races with Junior so that was sort of off the table. As for how the disease is spread, I really had no other ideas, so it might seem a little random.)

Kart-astrophe

_One Week Earlier_

The car tottered precariously on the edge of the hill. Waluigi looked down at the seemingly endless drop in horror. "Wario, wake up!" he desperately demanded for the tenth time. He couldn't hold on much longer. Wario never moved, unconscious in the front seat. Waluigi's fingers were slipping from the bumper. He gasped and looked down, trying to scramble up.

This wasn't _fair_! The one time he didn't wear a seatbelt and _this_ happened! How had he even ended _up_ at the back of the car? Oh yeah, the car had slid, tossing him backwards. It hadn't stopped suddenly, throwing him forward, and before he could react he was rolling over the back of the car and falling. The laws of physics were fussy things, but even then he still had trouble figuring this out. How had they gotten in this position _anyway_? Oh yes, Mario and Luigi. He scowled at the memory…

Flashback

"Faster, faster," Waluigi excitedly said to Wario. They had passed the Mario bros a lap back, but Mario and Luigi were still hot on their tails. If they could just keep ahead for the rest of the laps they would be golden, and for once Mario and Luigi would lose! Wario laughed evilly and gassed it.

Just then, however, they heard Mario exclaim, "Here we go!"

"Huh?" both he and Wario had wondered aloud, looking back. Oh no. Their rivals had gotten an invincible star! The two cried out in terror as Mario and Luigi barrelled towards them. They cried out again as Mario came alongside them and viciously turned his wheel, slamming into their car! Their car had spun out of control, Wario and Waluigi screaming in terror as they saw an edge near.

They hit a bump and Wario slammed his head almost through the glass. "Wario!" Waluigi exclaimed as the car spun, throwing Wario back against the seat unconscious. The car had screeched, sliding, and suddenly come to a stop sending Waluigi flying over the seats and rolling towards the back and over the edge.

End Flashback

"Wario! Wario, get up you tub of lard! Somebody help me!" Waluigi called, clinging onto the bumper of the car that was already halfway over as it was. He couldn't hold on much longer! All at once he slipped and cried out in terror, plunging down towards the ground. "Curse you, Mario Bros!" he shouted as he fell.

All of a sudden he felt himself land in another car whipping by, just before he would have been a splat on the road. He was actually surprised he wasn't a splat in the _car_. He heard two screams and sat up, groaning. "Waluigi!" he heard one girl say.

He blinked and exclaimed, eyes wide, "Mona!" But that meant… He turned around and saw Mona's partner gaping in shock at him, driving. "Princessa Rosalina," he cooed, smirking icily as his eyes lit up lustfully. She scoffed and turned her attentions back to the road.

"Be wary of a wandering eye," Rosalina hissed coldly.

"What happened? You just fell from the sky! You're lucky you're not _dead_!" Mona exclaimed.

"If we don't stop to help Wario, he _will_ be," Waluigi replied, recalling the position of the car. It had slipped back further before he'd fallen. Much more and it would go over, Wario _with_ it.

"What?!" Mona exclaimed, eyes widening as the car tore up the hill.

"Mario and Luigi decided to play bumper cars; and _they_ had the invincibility," Waluigi answered.

"We stop, we lose," Mona replied. This was Rosalina's first Double Dash, and she had no intentions of letting her friend make a bad impression. Wario would be fine, he always was.

"Mona," Waluigi murmured, absently rubbing a strand of Rosalina's hair between his fingers. Rosalina pulled it away from. He smirked and continued, turning to the redhead, "That lard bucket can take a hit, probably survive the drop, but will you have it on your conscience if he _doesn't_?" He was rewarded with Mona's terrified look and Rosalina shifting uncomfortably. He chuckled darkly. Despite Mona's words, she and Rosalina would stop for Wario. Even if Mona had _hated_ the Wario—which she didn't—_Rosalina_ still would stop. She was just too good for her own, well, good.

SMB

The car came into sight. Rosalina bit her lower lip then sighed, pulling over as she shook her head. Every other racer zoomed by. "Quickly, we must move him to safety," Rosalina declared.

"I have a better idea," Waluigi said. "Let's pretend we're on a team. If I win, you win too, and vice versa. You two get Wario out and I take your car and finish this race for _all_ of us. Good. Bye bye." They spun, startled, only to see him starting their car.

Their eyes widened. Quickly Rosalina called, "Waluigi, wait!"

He looked ponderous a moment. For a moment they thought he'd leave. Soon, though, he grumbled, answering, "Humph, whatever. I'm-a gonna lose anyway."

"No, you don't have to! Go Waluigi, go! Win this for us all!" Mona cheered. Rosalina shot a disbelieving look at her friend.

"I like her," Waluigi remarked, grinning. Revving the engine he said, "Everyone was cheating but me. This time _I_ cheat _too_!" He tore off the next instant. Rosalina and Mona went back to rescuing the still unconscious Wario.

SMB

"You hit them pretty hard, bro. What if they're in trouble?" Luigi worriedly asked Mario.

"Weegie, we're losing to Ludwig Von Koopa and Iggy Koopa. We have more important things to think about than our rivals!" Mario replied testily. He wasn't happy. They were old hands at the racing game and they were second place to two _newcomers_! Of course Bowser would choose _this_ tournament to bring in the rest of his children. What's more, they were good, all of them; even Wendy, who wasn't even paired with one of her brothers but with Parakarry and right behind them.

"It's not the end of the world if we lose this one, Mario," Luigi argued, still getting a bad feeling something had happened that wasn't supposed to. Mario gave him an incredulous look and Luigi sighed deeply. He hated when Mario got into these competitive moods.

All at once they heard evil laughter and gasped, turning around. Right behind them they saw Waluigi roaring up, passing Wendy and Parakarry and still going like nothing!

"B-but how? We've lapped them _twice_!" Mario exclaimed.

"Mario, Wario's not there, and he's in Rosalina's car!" Luigi exclaimed.

Oh heck no, they weren't losing a double dash to a _single_ member! Mario gritted his teeth and gassed it. They gave it their all, but Waluigi shot passed them. "He's-a cheating, he _has_ to be!" Mario exclaimed. Luigi was in full agreement, lips tightly pursed as he glared after their cousin. Waluigi shot passed Ludwig and Iggy and tore across the finish line first place!

SMB

"Look Rosalina, I won it for us!" Waluigi boasted loudly, seeing Rosalina and Mona waiting at the finish line with Wario, still out like a light. At least the car was in one piece, or all Hades would break lose when Wario awoke. In fact, probably no one would leave this track alive for that matter.

"You cheated!" Mario exclaimed, pulling into second place with Luigi having barely managed to pass Ludwig and Iggy.

"_You_ almost _killed_ us!" Waluigi shot.

"I knew it! I told you!" Luigi said to Mario, chastising him.

"How?" Mario demanded.

"You almost sent us over the mountain side!" Waluigi sneered "I could have died! Luckily Rosalina was driving by."

Wario groaned and sat groggily up, asking, "What happened?"

"Attempted murder," Waluigi replied.

"It was not! How were we supposed to know you would almost go over the edge?!" Mario argued.

"Over the edge?" Wario asked. Then he remembered. "Why you little…" he began.

Just then Toadsworth came up, saying, "Congratulations, Waluigi, you were first _place_."

"He was what now?" Wario demanded.

"Waluigi for the win!" Waluigi exclaimed, cheering himself. "Give me the trophy," he growled sharply right after, holding out his hands for it.

"Unfortunately, this was a double dash race. You finished single," Toadsworth reluctantly admitted. "The, um, trophy goes to the Mario Bros."

"What?!" Wario and Waluigi screamed, looking ready to kill. Mario and Luigi had to hold them away from Toadsworth. The whole of the Toad Brigade were helping too, for that matter, and Yoshi and Birdo. The Wario Bros were ready to kill.

"I'm sorry, that's the rules!" Toadsworth defended in terror, scrambling away and darting out of sight.

"Oh yeah, we won!" Luigi exclaimed, jumping happily in the air.

"Ooh, King Dad's not going to be happy with us," Iggy remarked to Ludwig. He giggled slightly insanely, adding, "Oh well. Next time I have something… wicked planned for them."

"Fazher never _iz_ happy vith us. It vas a good race, brozher; ve did vell," Ludwig replied, scoffing and shrugging it off, shaking Iggy's hand.

Iggy smiled and shook back. "We'll win, just you wait and see. I have an invention in store that will 'blow' your mind, literally," Iggy stated, eyes dazzling madly.

Ludwig offered a smirk. "I vill meet you and ze ozhers in a little bit. I have sings to attend to," he said.

"Don't be too late. Bowser hates it when we're late," Iggy warned, maniacally cackling.

"Attention participants, we will now have our lunch time intermission. Be sure to return to the starting line for the next race at one o'clock sharp. Feel free to pick new teams," an announcer said. Grumbling, the Wario Bros stalked off.

SMB

Ludwig disappeared into the shadows, looking around to ensure no one was following. "Kamek, Kammy!" he called.

"Yes Prince Ludwig?" the two quickly replied, flying into sight.

"Is ze mushroom ready?" Ludwig asked.

"It certainly is, young master. Bowser will be most pleased," Kamek replied, doing flips on his broom.

"You worked very hard on it my dear. He _should_ be," Kammy added.

"In ze mood he is in today, I doubt anysing vould please him," Ludwig replied, taking it. "Vait, zis doesn't seem right."

"We added a few touches of our own," Kammy explained.

"Who authorized that?" Ludwig demanded.

"No one, your highness. But what's wrong with a little improvement?" Kamek asked.

"Improvement?" Ludwig icily asked, smoke coming from his nostrils. The magikoopas paled. They knew these signs all too well. They were exactly the signs Bowser gave before blowing up. They'd insulted the young prince's pride.

Quickly Kamek covered, "Improvisation, I mean, improvisation!"

"Fine," Ludwig growled. "I vill bring zis to fazher immediately."

"Yes my prince," the two chimed, bowing. Ludwig left.

SMB

Grins falling the two exchanged panicked looks. "Kamela, we don't know the side effects of the cauldron's contents!" Kamek exclaimed.

"Idiot! Why did you drop it in that brew in the _first_ place? Quickly. We need to get rid of that failed potion before anything _else_ goes wrong," Kammy chastised. Quickly the two flew off and grabbed the cauldron.

"I'm sure nothing bad will happen. Certainly the mushroom wasn't permeated enough to have any ill effects," Kamek said as they dumped it into a water source, though honestly he was trying to assure _himself_ more than his _co-worker_.

They didn't see it, but some of the potion had splashed onto the ground. A little mouse came up to it and began sniffing. Cautiously it began to drink. All at once it stiffened. Its eyes became glazed and suddenly it appeared feral! Spotting another mouse it slowly limped over and attacked, biting its fellow. The other squeaked in terror and pain. All at once, though, it fell silent and stiffened. It rose slowly and began to stagger as its fellow rodent had, both making their way back to their mouse hole. The magikoopas didn't realize it, but that fountain was directly linked to the water fountains around the stadium they were in now; and more than a few people were drinking.

SMB

"All contestants, five minutes to report to the starting line!" the announcer announced. The participants were milling around their own vehicles, most having had joined up with their double dash teams. Bowser and his clan approached, Bowser saying, "Now don't you little brats embarrass me _again_."

"Never ever, daddy!" Bowser Junior exclaimed.

"Suck up," Larry bit.

"Shut up, Larry," Junior sneered.

"You've embarrassed me plenty of times, Junior," Bowser growled, obviously in a bad mood. "Now which of you is on my team?"

"I am, I am, aren't I?" Junior asked, obviously angry his father hadn't automatically chosen him. Bowser glared icily at the boy making Junior back away nervously.

"I call dibs on Lemmy!" Larry exclaimed, leaping next to his brother.

"Great, let's play," Lemmy excitedly agreed.

"Pah, me and Morten is gonna crush yous bums," Roy growled.

"All right, we'll pown all, we'll take the stage, no one will stand a chance against us, we'll rule the courts!" Morten babbled.

"Silence!" Iggy warned, eyes cold.

"Daddy?" Junior questioned uncertainly. Bowser wasn't paying attention, instead surveying the others.

"You can be on my team if you vant, Junior," Ludwig offered, shaking his head at his father. He recognized this expression all too well. Bowser wasn't in the mood to pick favorites right now. In fact, he was in the mood to _kill_ something.

"What about _me_?" Wendy whined. "I don't wanna go with daddy. He'll just slow me down. I'd like to switch things up a bit. Parakarry's good, but I want a change!"

"Come on sis, I'll show you how it's done," Iggy replied, smirking then maniacally laughing. "King dad can have Parakarry." Bowser growled but didn't protest.

"Are you all done now?" the Koopa King testily shot.

"Fazher, before ve go, I have something here zat may ensure victory for you," Ludwig remarked. Bowser sharply looked over at his eldest. Summing up the object Ludwig held out, Bowser smirked and evilly chuckled, taking it from the boy's hand.

"Tell me all about it," he replied. Ludwig smiled evilly. Iggy frowned. Humph, fine, he'd use his invention himself, if push came to shove.

SMB

"The time for the next set of races is almost upon us. To refresh your memories, our human participants consist of Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Peach, Daisy, Mona, and Rosalina. From Kong Island we welcome Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Candy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Tiny Kong. Native to Toad Town are our very own Toad and Toadette. Coming from Yoshi's Island we have Yoshi and Birdo. Let's not forget our special guest stars King Boo, Petey Piranha, and Parakarry. Last, but most _certainly_ not least, the royal Koopa family who, for the first time in history, are attending our regular Mario Kart extravaganza all together! Introducing King Bowser, Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, Larry, and Bowser Junior!" the host of the event introduced, listing off the names of those participating. The whole area was filled with thunderous clapping.

SMB

Waluigi and Wario walked onto the next course, Waluigi grumbling as Wario insulted and belittled him, laughing. Ah brotherly love. He nearly scoffed at the thought. "Oh shut up," he growled lowly at the latest insult, a play on the recent race. He didn't even care about that anymore. He was over it. The humiliating part of the whole experience now no longer existed. Humiliation wasn't his bag. He was already humiliated enough daily let alone everything _else_ that went on.

"Hey boss, boss!" Mona suddenly called from behind. The two men paused and turned, curious.

"What?" Wario bluntly asked, already looking annoyed.

"I just got a great idea! How about _we_ team up?" Mona excitedly asked.

"What?!" Waluigi demanded.

"I'm busy," Wario replied.

"You sure?" Mona asked, walking by him and swaying her hips. "Okay. Too bad. I was kind of looking forward to a race."

"Fine, just one!" Wario shot. If it would get her off his back he would deal with it. He followed like a puppy as she giggled. Waluigi blinked blankly and face-palmed.

"Idiot doesn't even know he's being baited," Waluigi grumbled to himself. He looked around. Okay, he needed a new partner, but where to _get_ one? Wait. Rosalina was at her car, looking for Mona. Waluigi grinned coldly and headed towards her.

SMB

"Princessa," Waluigi greeted, sauntering up to her smoothly, eyes glittering devilishly.

She started and frowned, eyes becoming like ice. She folded her arms and coldly greeted, "Waluigi."

"I see you're short a partner," Waluigi remarked.

"She'll be back," Rosalina replied. Just then they heard Wario laugh and looked over. Mona was grinning, sitting on the back of his car and laughing along with him.

"Yeah, at the end of the race," Waluigi replied.

"I can be patient," Rosalina replied, though she looked slightly upset.

"I've got a better idea. I have no partner, you have no partner, let's-a team up, my cosmic queen," Waluigi cooed.

Rosalina glared at him for a long moment. "Three minutes!" the announcer declared.

She looked towards the starting line and bit her lower lip. Finally she sighed and replied with a smile, "All right."

"First time you've-a smiled at me all day," Waluigi grumbled. "Some gratefulness for saving your observatory." She giggled and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Put up our team name," Rosalina said.

"Which is?" he asked.

"Anything," she answered. "I'll wait at the start."

Soon enough Waluigi hopped on back, having set up their team name. The names flashed on the board and Rosalina's smile fell to a look of shock and disbelief. Star-Crossed Lovers! He had named their team Star-Crossed _Lovers_! She glared in supressed fury at him. You wouldn't have even been able to tell she was angry, if not for the way her eyes flashed and her lips pursed tightly. "What is that?" she asked. He laughed maniacally as all eyes turned to them in horror.

"Go!" the announcer yelled. No one could think on it any longer. The race started.

SMB

Meanwhile, a Toad staggered towards the stadium feeling ill. "Hey, what's wrong?" a friend asked.

"I-I think something's funny with the water here," the Toad replied. "I don't feel well."

"I'll bring you home," the other concernedly offered.

"Y-yeah," the other replied. They looked around. It was quieter than normal. They noticed that a quarter of the stadium was empty, and more were leaving with family or friends, obviously not feeling good.

"Wow. Must be some sickness," the sick Toad's friend remarked.

"Or maybe mind control," the ill feeling one nervously declared.

"We'd better get you home," the friend replied. Quickly the two left.

SMB

The racers tore around the track like mad. Bowser pulled out the mushroom Ludwig had given him. It was supposed to put the one it came in contact with in a daze, hardly conscious, unable to control their actions, completely malleable, or catatonic. The latter was the one he was going for. Bowser leapt into the back and threw the mushroom at King Boo and Petey Piranha, right behind him. It hit and the two roared furiously.

All at once the piranha plant stiffened up. King Boo glared at him curiously. Suddenly the plant whirled and snapped. King Boo flew out of the way, shocked. Quickly his own eyes became furious. How dare his partner attack for no _reason_?! With an infuriated scream he dove at his friend. The car crashed off the road and the two leapt out, still fighting each other. King Boo, however, quickly discovered that something was wrong with the other. Suddenly Petey stopped and groaned, shaking his head.

"What was in that mushroom? I've never seen it," King Boo remarked.

"I don't know," the plant communicated through the growls, roars, and whatnot he always spoke in. "But I lost control. I never knew what I was doing until I shook it off."

"It had no effect on me," King Boo said.

"For now," Petey remarked uncertainly. "We need to get out. If there are side effects… We may not see them until later. We may be more resilient. We need to disappear." King Boo nodded in agreement. Quickly the duo disappeared.

SMB

The racers stood at the trophy ceremony now, to the cheers of the audience. Not much of one either, they realized as they looked around. After another team change, Waluigi and Luigi had shot to the top of the list on almost every single race, followed by a sulking Mario and Wario in second. Ludwig Von Koopa and Bowser Junior took the third place position. The group gathered together as the ceremony finished. "Where did the crowd go?" Candy Kong wondered curiously.

"Princess, princess!" Toadsworth called, racing towards Peach. "Oh dear, we have some trouble I'm afraid. Terrible trouble."

"We're going to have some trouble here _too_," Tiny Kong said, jerking a finger back towards Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, all of whom were glaring daggers at each other.

"What is it, Toadsworth?" Peach wondered.

"It seems a mysterious outbreak has occurred. King Boo and Petey Piranha left halfway through the race. Three quarters of this audience is gone as well," Toadsworth nervously replied. "And for some reason a blasted group of mice saw fit to attack me and some of the other workers. They bite hard. Humph, ungrateful creatures. Here we let them have the food scraps and they go into hostile takeover mode."

"How strange," Daisy remarked, puzzle as to why the mice would react like that.

"I'll deal with it tomorrow Toadsworth. Right now let's all go to my castle for a victory party. All contestants are invited, even the Koopa clan!" Peach called out to the other racers.

"Yes, of course princess," Toadsworth agreed.

SMB

The area cleared until only Bowser and his children were left. Ludwig looked nervous. Kammy and Kamek, also flying about, looked fearful. Bowser turned icily to Ludwig and asked, "What was in that mushroom?"

"N-nothing, fazher!" Ludwig insisted.

"Drop the accent!" Bowser roared.

Ludwig backed down nervously. "Sir, I only put in it what I told you!"

"Um…" Kamek nervously began.

All eyes went to the two magikoopas. "Um?" Bowser frigidly asked, fishing for more info.

"W-well you see your repulsiveness, the mushroom, it kind of dropped into a cauldron of a failed experiment," Kamek nervously replied.

"Oh but we got rid of it! We poured the vile mixture into a water source down there," Kammy quickly covered.

"Water source? That water source didn't happen to look like an aqueduct, did it?" Iggy asked.

"You don't think…" Ludwig began, looking at his brother in shock.

"That they poured it into the Mushroom Kingdom Stadium's water works? That is _precisely_ what I think," Iggy confirmed, excitedly grinning. "If so this could be an… intriguingly disturbing _experiment_ to observe."

"You mean the water could be _infected_!" Roy exclaimed in disbelief.

"Not good," Larry remarked.

"What did the potion _do_?" Morton wondered.

"We-we don't know," Kammy admitted, but from Toadsworth's description of the strange happenings, she didn't think she _wanted_ to know anymore.

Bowser growled and looked over his brood protectively. Finally he said. "No one drinks the water here. When we get home we pack our things and we leave, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes papa," they all answered.

"Ludwig, your palace in Skyland would be best. Come on, we're leaving before anything else happens. Let Peachy have her party _without_ us," Bowser declared.

Junior heard a squeak and looked down curiously. A mouse? "Why does this have red eyes, Ludwig?" Junior wondered.

The others quickly turned. It was about to bite Junior! Unaware of the danger it might mean, though, Junior kicked it away hard. He laughed cruelly as it flew off. "Don't let anything bite you," Bowser ordered sharply, heart rate finally slowing. Junior's proud smile fell and instantly he caught on, paling. Quickly the family left.

SMB

"Come on Weegee, hurry up," Mario said, annoyed as he waited for his brother to show up.

"I'm coming," Luigi replied, exiting the room to join Daisy, Peach, and Mario. "Just let me get a drink."

He headed for the water fountain and bent down to take a sip. Just then, though, he felt someone shove his face down. Luigi cried out in alarm and fought back. The attacker pulled away laughing. Luigi wiped the water off and looked in disbelief at Waluigi. Wario was laughing now as well. "Enjoy the drink, eyeballs?" Waluigi nipped.

"Yes," Luigi helplessly replied. He wouldn't play into Waluigi's hands.

"Good, then have another," Waluigi replied, about to pounce.

Just then, though, Rosalina seized Waluigi, spinning him around, and shot, "How dare you!" Waluigi, startled, pulled back and looked at her in shock.

After a moment his eyes narrowed and he demanded, "I'm sorry, does this concern you, Princessa?"

"You will address me as your highness," Rosalina replied sharply.

Waluigi's eyes widened, as did Wario's. Did this princess actually dare tell off _Waluigi_? Wario had to hold back his laughter. This was getting interesting. "What?" Waluigi finally asked, his tone poisonous as his eyes began to glow purple.

"You will address me as your highness until you learn humility and respect," she answered.

SMB

Waluigi burst into laughter along with Wario. She started and became uncertain a moment. Quickly, though, she went back to the wise queen of the cosmos she was. "You go Rosalina!" Daisy cheered.

"Shut up!" Waluigi shrieked furiously, whirling on Daisy. Daisy's mouth dropped in shock as she pulled back, startled. Whoa, what was _that_?

"Back off!" Luigi barked sharply, getting between his cousin and Daisy.

"Oh look, King Boo," Waluigi said. Luigi yelped and whirled in terror. On seeing nothing, though, he blushed in humiliation.

"Come on, let's a go to the party," Mario said angrily, beckoning for the others to follow.

Rosalina, though wasn't inclined to let this go so easily. "I have been patient with you, Waluigi, very patient. I will not say I despise you as everyone else has said many times, but I will _not_ tolerate your treatment of my friends," Rosalina warned, ignoring Mario's plea.

"Patient? Queen Rosalina, don't waste your time being patient with me. Nothing will change. I am what I am," Waluigi replied, grinning coldly. Summing her up silently, watching her eyes, he smirked and added, "And you know that, don't you?"

"Don't pretend as though you simply don't care," Rosalina said. "There's a side of you… one that has been hurt many times over. Deny that, Waluigi." Waluigi was silent, lips pursed tightly. He looked as if he weren't sure whether to be outraged or terrified. "I _challenge_ you to."

Waluigi's lips parted slowly. "Walu, let's go," Wario suddenly said, putting a firm and protective hand on Waluigi's shoulder. This had gone too far now on all sides.

"You little _witch_," Waluigi sneered suddenly, his every word venom. She swallowed but didn't move to back down.

"I do not judge you," she softly stated, tone becoming gentler. "Don't try and isolate me. Don't try to isolate those who care for you."

"Get on your observatory and _never_ come back here!" Waluigi shot viciously. Furiously he turned on his heel and stormed off. Wario gaped then glared murderously at Rosalina and the others. Furiously he followed his brother. Mona, looking uncertain, remained behind. Something told her it wasn't a good idea to catch a ride back with her boss and his brother.

Rosalina looked furiously down. "Ignore him, Rosy," Daisy comfortingly said, putting a hand on Rosalina's shoulder.

"We all love you here. Do stay," Peach pled. Rosalina smiled softly. "You are officially a guest at my palace. Daisy, Mona, you two are welcome as well."

"Sounds peachy, Peach," Mona joked. The four girls giggled and walked off. Mario and Luigi stayed behind, frowning.

SMB

"That seemed weird," Luigi remarked.

"I know. We've got to get to the bottom of this strange sickness," Mario said.

Luigi blinked then frowned, saying, "Mario, I meant the argument!"

"Oh, right, weird. Well what did you expect? _Waluigi_ was involved," Mario retorted, obviously not overly concerned about the whole thing. "We have more pressing problems Luigi. Like what's happening in the Mushroom Kingdom." Luigi sighed hopelessly then smiled and nodded in agreement. He'd been curious _anyway_.


	3. Letters

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: These people aren't out for the count _yet_.)

Letters

Donkey Kong read over the letter tiredly. Candy, Diddy, Dixie, Funky, and Tiny were all gathered together in his tree house as well, reading over his shoulder. "Man, it's a pity she didn't send _this_ earlier," DK dismally said.

"Maybe then the others would still be around," Diddy sadly agreed, crossing off more names from the list of Kong's he'd developed to keep track of who was lost and who was still okay. "DK, we're the only ones _left_; and Cranky and Wrinkly, but they've _vanished_," Diddy added, looking at his friend with pain in his expression.

"What should we do, dudes?" Funky asked.

"What else _can_ we do? We answer Peach's letter," Candy replied.

"Candy's right. We can't hold out here much longer," Dixie said, peering out the curtains down at the forest floor where all their animal friends and fellow Kongs were knocking at the tree and trying to get up. Luckily they had been able to keep them down so far, but it was only a matter of time.

"In the morning they calm down a little. Maybe we can leave then," Tiny offered.

"But what about Cranky and Wrinkly?" DK sadly asked, looking down.

"We can't wait for him any longer, Donkey Kong, and we can't risk searching," Candy gently said, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Guys, we don't have any other _choice_," Diddy agreed.

SMB

Yoshi and Birdo read over their letters, their eyes tired. Birdo let out a series of low pitched squeaks and growls which roughly translated into, "At least we know that she's still alive."

"Yoshi," Yoshi agreed. He made a variety of sounds in return which, when translated, questioned, "But what about the others she's sent the letters to? Birdo, we might be the only ones _left_."

"Then we go to her anyway. Better safe than sorry," Birdo communicated, taking Yoshi's arm. Quickly she pulled her fellow away. The growls and groans of other Yoshi's and Birdo's were getting nearer, and they couldn't stay hidden in this little briar any longer. To remain here would be to corner themselves. Yoshi nodded and let his friend lead the way.

SMB

King Boo read over the message he'd ambushed from Parakarry. His jaw was set grimly. Of them all, he and Petey Piranha had been the only two directly exposed to whatever the transmitter of this virus had been without turning. How did he know Petey was still unaffected as well? Because barring the initial reaction the plant had had, it was Petey that he happened to be _sharing_ this letter with.

Petey let out a series of growls, roars, and otherwise Piranha Plant like noises. Luckily King Boo _understood_ that tongue. "This explains a lot," Petey Piranha had said.

"It would make sense that we not be affected. A ghost and a plant?" he asked. Of course to be fair ghost wasn't exactly the correct term to use when applying it to the Boo race. They were pretty well the same thing, except his people were slightly different in appearance and personality. "As long as we keep our heads down, nothing bad should happen to us. Let the Princess plead for the help of her friends. _We_ are not those _friends_," King Boo stated.

"Perhaps not, but what if these infected decide to come after _us_ as _well_?" Petey asked in his tongue.

"Will it matter?" King Boo asked.

"Not in particular, unless of course they chopped _me_ up and trapped _you_ in a portrait via the machine you told me of; the one that belonged to E. Gadd," Petey Piranha replied. "Still, it could be an adventure," he suggested as an afterthought.

"We'll see," King Boo replied. Petey chuckled and hissed, nodding as he bared his teeth and licked his evil looking lips and mouth. Until then he and King Boo would stay out of the way and watch in amusement from afar.

SMB

Parakarry read over the message curiously. He was more than a little surprised Peach had bothered to write to him, and flattered. He hadn't known she'd even _considered_ him a friend. Then again, she had written to Bowser and his children as well, and they _certainly_ were no friends of Peach's. At least, Bowser wasn't. He wasn't sure, entirely, what the princess thought of Bowser's children. He supposed she _must_ be fond of them if she put up so little of a fight whenever Bowser kidnapped her. He had seen Peach in action, and the princess was _certainly_ not as helpless as she pretended to be. His own personal belief was that she allowed herself to be kidnapped so often for the sole purpose of checking on how Bowser's brood was doing. He wasn't the only one that thought as such _either_.

Parakarry paused in midair, fluttering there. He heard growls in the distance, back in the town he'd just gotten out of the center of. He shivered. He was terrified, he wouldn't deny that. Luckily for him the only infected he had to worry about were other Paratroopas and the Lakitu's. He could fly away from most of the others. Not that he thought himself untouchable, oh no, but still. He had an advantage many would absolutely kill for, he realized. Perhaps he would finish delivering his mail and then immediately answer Peach's summons. Yes, that would probably be best in the interests of self-preservation. Quickly he zoomed off. There was no time to be a slow mailman today.

SMB

Bowser read the letter with a ponderous eye. He was amused, he had to admit, that Peach was writing to him expressing concern. Perhaps he was even touched and hopeful. He knew, though, that his safety was the farthest thing from her mind; or rather he believed so. It was his children whom she feared for. They had that in common, then, because there was no way in heaven or earth he was returning to the Darklands or leaving the safety of this secret castle. He had eight _children_, for Pete's sake. Eight children he had no intentions of losing any time soon. He breathed fire on the note, burning it to a crisp and letting the ashes fall. He rose, then, and went to go check on his offspring.

SMB

Daisy read the letter in relief. At least the Mushroom Kingdom still had its Princess. Rather, at least the Princess still had a Kingdom to rule _over_. Daisy's eyes stung as she looked back at the fading Sarasaland. Their castle had been invaded. Her father had told her to run and had said he'd be right behind her with some soldiers… He wasn't… None of them were… She continued to run through the land, holding her dress up as she tucked the letter away; the letter that was her last beacon of hope. She didn't know if she'd make it to Peach's palace alive; it was so far _away_, but she had to _try_. She wouldn't fall easy prey to these infected.

Meanwhile, on the Comet Observatory, Rosalina sobbed into her hands as she heard her children, her lumas, moaning and groaning and trying to get inside. As she expected, Polari had returned infecting them by the myriads. Even Lubba was gone now. All of them were taken say for one, the very special Apricot Luma whom she'd first met so long ago. He was the one who kept coming back to her in various ways even after a seeming death. He was the one whom she'd simply named Luma. Luma was now shivering against her looking terrified. She had to leave this place, she knew, and find a cure for her children. She quickly went to the portals and opened them, looking down on the earth. She started on seeing Daisy fleeing through Sarasaland and being pursued by infected. The Princess couldn't hope to outrun them forever. Poking from a pocket of Daisy's dress was a note. Rosalina started and took out a note identical to Daisy's. It had been sent to her by Peach, though she had yet to read it. She hardly needed to, anymore. She had guessed the gist of it. Determinedly Rosalina looked through the portal. Without a second thought she transported, Luma following her.

Daisy gasped as there was suddenly a flash of brilliant light! The Infected screamed in pain, falling back. Daisy slid to a stop as Rosalina appeared, smiling and giggling softly. "You need help," she deduced.

"Big time," Daisy replied, beaming gratefully at her friend. "I'm gladder that you're still _alive_." Rosalina waved her wand and immediately the two were transported far away from Sarasaland and to the Mushroom Kingdom.

SMB

Mario and Luigi read the letter they had only just received. "Peach is still _alive_!" Mario cheered, grinning in relief.

"But what about _Daisy_?" Luigi worriedly asked, expression strained.

"If Daisy's still all right, we'll see her there, Weegee," Mario replied. "Right now, though, we need to gather as many survivors as possible together. Peach has the right idea. United we stand."

"I guess," Luigi less enthusiastically replied. He would much rather stay here, safe in his and Mario's house where he knew everything would be fine. Nervously he petted Polterpup who whimpered, sensing his master's distress. The pup barked and leapt into Luigi's arms, licking him and making Luigi laugh, cuddling his pet. Mario watched in disbelief. He still couldn't believe Luigi had actually wanted to _adopt_ that thing. It was a ghostly creature, and Luigi had always been so terrified of such things. He continued to marvel at how far his brother had come since the second adventure he'd had with E. Gadd, the one Luigi had dubbed 'Dark Moon.' Mario turned once more to the letter and all the names Peach had declared she was writing to, many of which were old friends of his from his Paper Adventures, as he called them; though _why_ he called them such was beyond _him_.

SMB

Wario and Waluigi drove towards Diamond City. Suddenly Parakarry zipped in front of them and Wario cried out in alarm, hitting the breaks and sending Waluigi flying. He cringed on seeing his brother slide across the pavement but then shrugged. "Meh, he'll shake it off," he said to a horrified and alarmed Parakarry.

"Are you sure?" Parakarry asked. Waluigi was groaning and hardly moving.

"What do you want?" Wario demanded, not bothering to answer.

"Letter from Peach," Parakarry replied. Wario raised a suspicious eyebrow and took it. Parakarry zoomed off, leaving Wario to read it over. Waluigi, mumbling about how his life sucked and how he hated everything, climbed painfully back into the side cart and began reading the note over Wario's shoulder.

"What is this junk?" Wario remarked, crumpling the paper.

"That 'junk' just gave us a sanctuary and allies," Waluigi replied.

"Hah, my castle is good enough!" Wario boasted.

"That's _one_ man's opinion," Waluigi grumbled, folding his arms crossly.

"What you say, Walu? You want to walk the rest of the way?" Wario asked. Waluigi glared reproachfully at him and harrumphed, saying nothing. Instead he settled back in the side cart sulking. "I thought so," Wario said. Immediately he began driving once more.

SMB

Peach looked around over all her gathered guests. She felt her heart sinking as she counted up the ones missing. There were many, and among those were Rosalina, Daisy, and Mona. Waluigi and Wario were nowhere to be seen either, nor were Bowser or his children, or any of the others she'd written so say for Parakarry. She hoped they were alright, _all_ of them. "This was a good idea, hiding out here," Candy remarked, looking around the palace. It was certainly _big_ enough; and protected, to say the least.

"Totally. As long as, you know, the guards and servants don't get infected or escape quarantine," Funky agreed. The others grimaced at the very thought of it. If that were to occur, they would be in for a world of trouble _indeed_.

"It's good to see that so many of our allies are alive and well," Toadette remarked, looking around at the ragtag bunch in relief.

"Speaking of allies, Mario, Luigi, where are your _cousins_?" Diddy questioned.

Mario and Luigi cringed, looking at each other with uncertain expressions. Turning back, Mario replied, "We don't know."

"Is there _anything_ you can tell us?" Tiny asked worriedly.

"I saw them heading towards Diamond City. After that I can't tell you anything more," Parakarry said.

"As for Bowser, he and the Koopalings have disappeared into thin _air_," Luigi offered. "Oh, and Mona, Rosalina, and Daisy are nowhere to be found. Rosalina was supposed to go check on her Observatory and come back here, but she never _did_… Daisy… Daisy was in Sarasaland. I… I haven't heard from her since the party after the _race_."

The others began muttering. "Calm down, everyone. I'm sure it'll be okay," Peach offered.

"Yeah. Rosalina, Daisy, Mona, Wario, and Waluigi are probably on their way right _now_," Dixie backed hopefully.

In his tongue Yoshi said, "I wouldn't bet on it." Worriedly he looked to Birdo.

"They're long gone," Birdo agreed in the Birdo language, eyes worried and stressed. Of course not everyone necessarily understood what they were saying to each other, but they got the idea. All they could do now, though, was wait and hope for the best.


	4. Finding Mona

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Second up today. Adding a few more into the mix, namely Pauline, Ashley, and Mona. As for how I portray Wario, I got most of it from the Wiki. Apparently, when properly motivated, he's quite smart. I'm doing something different with Pauline than what most other authors do, though I'm trying to stay in character. In America Ashley is fifteen, not eight, so that's also the age I'll be going with in regards to her. Enjoy. Here's hoping I kept them relatively in character. I know Wario went a little out of it, but still.)

Finding Mona

Waluigi and Wario drove through Diamond City keeping an eye out for any survivors. "Where are we-a going?" Waluigi asked.

"Wario Ware," Wario answered simply.

"Why would she be _there_ of all places?" Waluigi demanded.

"Because she knows it's-a gonna be the first place I look," Wario answered as if it were obvious. Waluigi rolled his eyes. His brother may have acted the part of the perfect idiot, but believe it or not Wario actually _had_ some semblance of a brain. He was a whiz at electronics and if treasure was involved, he had a wit that _he_ almost felt threatened by.

Wario pulled up to a stop in front of the factory. He fished around a moment then brought out a crowbar. Waluigi started but quickly caught on. The factory was dark, there was no light calming the infected. Waluigi searched uncertainly around and nearly cursed. He had nothing that would be of any use to him. _Dang_ it! "Just my luck," he grumbled.

He hadn't thought Wario had heard, but just then his sibling handed him over a lead pipe. "Take it, stupid," Wario bit coldly. Waluigi blinked and then took it, choosing to say nothing. Wario held his crowbar firmly in hand and climbed off the bike. Waluigi followed. Carefully they approached the doors to the factory. Wario silently counted down from three and kicked open the door, holding his crowbar in a way that would stop any unexpected attacks from infected. Nothing came. Waluigi came up next to him and the two exchanged cautious looks. Finally they nodded to each other and entered, brandishing their weapons determinedly.

SMB

"Mona!" Wario called. "Mona!"

"Shut up, idiot. We don't want to alert the infected, if there _are_ any," Waluigi warned.

Wario bit his tongue and called softer, "Mona?!"

They heard a clattering sound and turned quickly. Something was rising slowly from a pile of boxes and growling, groaning, limping. It turned to them and they caught their breath. The eyes were almost dead! It screamed and raced at them determinedly. Waluigi cried out in alarm and swung the lead pipe, striking the infected powerfully in the head and knocking it to the ground. Hearts pounding the two knelt to check on who it had been.

"J-just a common worker," Wario said, obviously greatly relieved. They heard more growling and roaring, however, and sharply looked up. Against the walls of a hallway they saw the shadows of at least a dozen infected! "Not good," Wario remarked, brandishing his crowbar.

"Run!" Waluigi shot, grabbing Wario's arm and pulling him away. The two fled from the small hoard, but the hoard wouldn't give up.

"We're a gonna have to fight!" Wario exclaimed.

"We won't stand a chance!" Waluigi argued.

"We don't have anything to _lose_," Wario stated.

Waluigi cursed under his breath on realizing his brother was right. "Fine," he agreed. The two slid to a stop and turned to face the hoard. The infected screamed at them, suddenly on top of the duo. Desperately, powerfully, Waluigi and Wario swung every which way they could. Waluigi kicked and wished he had his vine powers so he could whip the attackers. Wario was pile driving the enemy and charging through them, by some miracle managing to avoid getting bitten. The crowbar and lead pipe were getting a workout as well. The two brothers regrouped when nine of the twelve infected were downed. The last three charged with screams. The brothers met each other's eyes boredly and nodded. Together they attacked and in seconds the rest were gone. They didn't stick around to see who the fallen had been. They had allies to find.

SMB

The two entered the basement. "The basement. Always the worst possible place to go, right along with the attic," Waluigi grumbled.

"Not in Wario Ware. This place is designed to withstand a nuclear _strike_," Wario boasted. They approached a thick metal door. "Mona!" Wario called. "Mona!"

"Wario, boss, is it really you?!" a voice hopefully exclaimed.

"Mona, you're a still alive!" Wario exclaimed. Mona may not have worked for him anymore, at least not in the sense she once had, but she still addressed him as boss.

"Yes, and so is Ashley. I found her and another survivor, Pauline, and brought them down here as quickly as I could!" Mona replied.

"Where are the others?" Wario asked as the door was being unlocked.

"Crygor and Penny are gone, along with all the others, and so is… so is Red," Ashley replied, her voice quiet and sad for one of the rare times.

"Where did you find _Pauline_?" Waluigi asked confusedly. The last he and Wario had heard of _her_ was, whoa, he couldn't remember if it had been Brooklyn or somewhere else.

"She was here searching for you two, Wario and Waluigi. She wanted to catch up on old times, namely Mario and Luigi," Mona replied. "At least, that's what she told _me_."

"Probably wants to stalk Mario," Waluigi grumbled as the door opened and the three girls cautiously came out.

"Actually, I'll have you know that Mario and I parted on good terms. In fact we parted close friends. He's even helped me out of a few situations since then," Pauline said coldly. "Listen Waluigi, I just felt like a trip down memory lane, is that so bad?" Waluigi had never thought much of her, Pauline knew; or _any_ woman for that matter, aside from Daisy. "It hurts that he chose Peach over me, yes, a breakup always _does_, but I _do_ have a life. When it's time to move on, it's time to move on." She almost laughed at herself. It was a lie to her own ears. She owed Mario everything, she had loved him once… and then the Mushroom Kingdom thing had occurred, and everything was lost. She supposed there was really no one to blame, but as she'd said, it still hurt sometimes. "I happened to be in Diamond City and thought I'd look him up through his family. I realize we didn't exactly know each other on a personal level, only through Mario and Luigi really, and a few meetings here and there, but I figured why not?"

"That's where you and your brother come in," Ashley said, rolling her eyes at the mini-drama playing out. She couldn't see herself _ever_ getting so worked up over a mere man.

"You might get your wish. Come on, we're a getting out of here," Wario stated, taking Mona's wrist firmly and dragging her away. Ashley and Pauline hurried to follow while Waluigi, in an unexpected and random display of chivalry, took it upon himself to take the rear.

SMB

Wario and Waluigi waited in the living room for the three girls to return from their showers. Wario had multiple bathrooms so there was plenty of room. They had been in that bunker for almost a week, the two men had been informed, and to say they'd felt grungy would have been an understatement. The first thing they'd _done_ on getting to Wario's Castle was decide to shower. "What's the plan?" Waluigi asked.

"We send them to the Mushroom Kingdom in an armored _car_," Wario replied. "They follow the letter and go to Peach's castle. _We_ stay _here_."

"Why are we staying _here_?" Waluigi asked incredulously.

"My defenses are the best," Wario replied.

"Then why are we sending Mona, Ashley, and Pauline away?" Waluigi asked.

"Because they'll-a be out of the way when the defenses are breached," Wario replied.

"You realize you're-a contradicting yourself, right?" Waluigi asked.

"The Military in Diamond City are corrupt. I-a didn't say it would be _zombies_ breaching our defenses," Wario replied.

"You want to sit here until the military comes. Perfect," Waluigi sarcastically said.

"They're-a gonna try and steal my treasure!" Wario protested.

"So instead you let them take our _lives_?" Waluigi pointed out. Wario blinked blankly at his brother then scowled.

"Shut up," he warned. He didn't need Waluigi's voice of reason right now. He hated voices of reason. They always made sense.

SMB

"No, I'm _not_ leaving you!" Mona insisted, tears threatening her eyes as she, Ashley, and Pauline listened to Wario's plan.

"Will you not argue for once?!" Wario yelled, now highly annoyed with her. Pauline and Ashley were waiting impatiently in the armored car. Waluigi leaned against it, boredly watching the spat.

"No! Wario, what if something _happens_ to you? I have to _be_ here. You _need_ me," she insisted.

"It's only for a little _while_! Mona, I promise, Waluigi and I will follow as soon as we tie up some loose ends _here_," Wario practically pled.

"But what if you don't come?" she asked, sniffling and wiping away a tear furiously, annoyed at herself for crying.

"It's-a me, a-Wario; of _course_ I'll come!" Wario shot, offended she'd think otherwise.

Mona bit her lower lip uncertainly and fearfully. She didn't want to go. "Mona, come on, has Wario ever let you down before?" Ashley coaxed.

"No," Mona admitted glumly.

"I've known Mario and his family for years and years. I can tell you this much, if Wario says he'll be back, he'll be back," Pauline assured.

Mona shifted uncomfortably and lowered her head. "Mona, give me a time limit, I'll-a _be_ there," Wario insisted, tilting her chin up.

"I want you there by tomorrow night," Mona replied firmly.

"It's a deal," Wario agreed, body relaxing in relief. Maybe now she'd go. Mona smiled uncertainly. Suddenly she pecked Wario on the cheek and went to the armored car. Wario blinked blankly after her. Had she just kissed him? Bah, women and their annoying sentimentalities. Mona climbed inside and the three girls waved. With that they drove off towards the Mushroom Kingdom.

"What happened to staying to protect your treasure?" Waluigi asked.

"I can't let her down now, _can_ I?" Wario asked defensively. "She _forced_ me to promise!"

"You've broken promises before," Waluigi retorted.

"This is different!" Wario insisted.

"How?" Waluigi demanded.

"It's-a _her_," Wario answered, turning and walking off. Waluigi blinked then face-palmed.

"Idiot, you don't even know your own _feelings_," Waluigi grumbled, following his sibling.

SMB

The others were waiting in Peach's castle, waiting tensely for the arrival of more of their friends. Luigi, looking out the window, suddenly gasped. "What is it, Weegee?" Mario asked, immediately alerted.

"Mario, it's-a Mona!" Luigi exclaimed. "And she's with Ashley and _Pauline_!"

"_Pauline_?" Mario asked, quickly going to the window to look down. He felt a clenching in his stomach on seeing his old lover. Oh, this was going to be awkward. He spotted Peach, out of the corner of his eyes, uncomfortably and uncertainly shifting and casting worried looks at him. Nonetheless, Peach gave the order to let the three girls inside. It was late. If they waited much longer, the streets would be filled with the Infected. Mona, Pauline, and Ashley wouldn't stand a chance.

SMB

"And that's what happened," Pauline finished as the three newcomers gave their narrative about what had happened in Diamond City.

"Wario and Waluigi intend to stay there one more night and then come meet us," Ashley added. "They said something about tying up loose ends, whatever they meant by _that_."

"They meant guarding Wario's treasure, I'll bet," Mario wryly said, rolling his eyes at the rash actions his cousins had taken.

"We should go to Diamond City and drag those two _back_ here," Toad said, annoyed on hearing this. It was just typical of Wario to do something of this nature. He'd have thought Waluigi had more _sense_, though.

"We can't do a thing for Wario and Waluigi anymore," Candy argued. "We need to stay in the palace. It's _safe_ here."

"Relatively speaking," Toadette uncertainly said. She couldn't shake the feeling, though, that something bad was going to happen if they just stayed.

"Princessa, let me and Luigi go back home to wait for them, even if only for one night," Mario said to Peach. "We need to see if they'll-a come _back_."

"Yeah, they'll stop at our house and take our things," Luigi agreed. Everyone there knew, though, that that wasn't the reason Waluigi and Wario would stop there.

"No, it's too dangerous," Pauline insisted. "If you two go back _out_ there you're sitting _ducks_."

"We _have_ to," Mario stated.

"They're our cousins," Luigi reluctantly agreed. In all honesty, neither he nor Mario could care less about Wario and Waluigi—and vice versa—but he supposed it was some sense of family honor and obligation. Besides… they _needed_ each other, right? Well, they really didn't, but still. Ugh, it was so _confusing_.

"If I don't allow it you'll leave anyway, won't you?" Peach sadly and worriedly asked.

"Si," Mario confirmed with a rueful smile. Peach looked fearfully down. Mario, pity in his eyes, approached her and turned her to face him. "We'll be fine, Peach," he promised. He took her hand, kissing it tenderly. Pauline looked away awkwardly, hurt in her eyes. Peach sniffed and smiled softly. She bent, kissing Mario's nose.

"All right, Mario," she agreed.

"Let's-a go, Luigi," Mario said, broadly smiling.

"Okay," Luigi agreed. He whistled for Polterpup and followed his brother out.

"Be safe, Mario," Peach quietly said.

"He'll be fine," Pauline assured the princess. Peach smiled worriedly and nodded.


	5. Rosalina's Trouble

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Third up today. The pet hen I mention Wario having is actually a reference to one of the Wario games. Which one I'm not sure, but he addresses his hen as his beloved pet.)

Rosalina's Trouble

Waluigi silently slunk out of his bedroom. He listened at Wario's door. His brother was fast asleep. Waluigi bit his lower lip. This was stupid, he knew it was stupid. He'd be lucky to _make_ it! People who went off alone always died. Why, then, was he daring to? No, bad Waluigi, this wasn't some clichéd horror movie or anything like that… he hoped… He crept to where they kept the vehicles and looked suspiciously around. If even animals were susceptible, he had to be extra cautious. He cringed, looking around at the snow covering the ground. Just their luck. The weather changing _now_? Perfect. He turned on the radio in his car and listened to it quietly.

"On top of the infection, the Mushroom Kingdom is now suffering its biggest snowfall in decades. Stay tuned. We will keep you posted on everything as well as we can," the announcer said.

"Unless we go off air," a nervous voice added.

"Quiet! Are you trying to panic our listeners?" the announcer hissed, trying to cover his mike. Waluigi cringed and shut it off. Oh this was so stupid. He checked his bags. Fire flowers, ice flowers, various power mushrooms… check on everything. He was set. He had to be quick about this, before Wario started to worry when he woke up.

All at once something slammed into his door roaring and screaming, trying to pry its way in. Waluigi screamed in terror and pounced desperately on the locks, ensuring all doors were tightly shut. The infected tried to break in the windows. He hit the gas and tore off, hoping the defenses in Wario's castle were enough to keep those things out; hoping, rather, that he hadn't left his brother to his doom.

SMB

He drove along, lost in his thoughts. At least until he heard a cluck and a burp from behind. He started and jammed on the breaks, exclaiming, "What in the name of the Star Spirits!?" He turned and peered over the back of the seats only to see Wario looking up at him in surprise, holding his beloved pet hen.

"Oops," Wario muttered.

"Wario! What are you _doing_ here?!" Waluigi yelled in disbelief.

Wario, recovering and not bothering to lie—why try, he was caught anyway—crawled over the back seat and into the passenger's side, saying, "Meh, when my beanpole brother starts sneaking out I start thinking something's up. You're weird, but you aren't a dumbbell."

"But-but you were _sleeping_!" Waluigi said as Wario stroked his pet's feathers, the Hen clucking quietly as she relished in her owner's touch.

"I was down in the kitchen," Wario replied. "Your recorder was a handy gadget." Waluigi grumbled under his breath, but they couldn't stay in one place long. Not in the middle of the city. He saw things stumbling towards them in the dark and began to drive. "Where are you going?" Wario wondered.

"Back to the Mushroom Kingdom early," Waluigi replied, too exasperated to bother lying.

"Why?" Wario questioned.

"I… need to see about a couple of people," Waluigi replied in a grumble.

"At least you haven't heard that they're _gone_," Wario muttered, staring out the window. He knew who Waluigi was talking about; a certain duo of princesses. Waluigi looked curiously over at his brother. Strange. He'd never seen Wario look serious or despondent before. Well, rarely. He supposed it had something to do with Professor Crygor and Wario's other main employees becoming one of the infected. Whether even Wario _himself_ knew it or not, his big brother considered them his close acquaintances, if not friends.

"Oh please, the Stupid Mario Brothers will fix this," Waluigi replied, rolling his eyes.

"Then why are you going after information on _her_?" Wario challenged in a rare insightful moment.

"Because I…" he began. "…Might not get to again," he finally confessed. "If we die I'd rather it not be when we're like _this_."

"Whatever. Drop me off at Mario's," Wario said. "We leave tomorrow night again, though, after seeing the others. We have to lock down the castle. Diamond City's not long for this world anymore…"

"How do you _know_?" Waluigi asked.

Wario looked down, choosing his words. Finally he replied, "Because the Mayor is infected and, like I said, the military is a corrupt _unit_ in that place. When they take over we'll be lucky if they don't blow the place _up_." Waluigi shuddered and said nothing. Who knew better about Diamond City than Wario, after all? Wario had lived there for a long time, rather on its outskirts in his castle.

SMB

Luigi stood awkwardly in the doorway of the kitchen where Mario was. "Bro…" he finally asked.

Mario turned sharply, guarded. On seeing Luigi, though, he relaxed. "What's the matter, Weegee?"

"Do you think…" Luigi began. He trailed off.

"The girls will be fine. They _have_ to be," Mario replied, knowing Luigi was worried about Rosalina and Daisy.

"Mario, they _won't_," Luigi stated gravely. Mario shuddered at the words and sharply turned.

"You predict this how?" he demanded.

"A feeling," Luigi admitted. "The girls weren't the ones I was asking about. Do you think our _cousins_ will come back? _They're_ the ones who I can't _predict_. I know the girls will be fine… at least for a while…"

Mario hesitated then sighed, admitting, "Yes, they'll come back, but they'll leave again."

"And will we see them after?" Luigi asked.

"What do your _feelings_ tell you?" Mario sarcastically asked.

He instantly regretted the way it came out, but Luigi wasn't paying attention. "He promised. Wario promised that if ever… If ever this world fell apart, if there was a chance he was still alive… We would find each other. Everything would be alright then, wouldn't it?"

"Wario's never kept a promise before," Mario replied. "Brother, it's just you and me. It always _has_ been. If this world dies, if everyone we know and love is gone, it will _only_ be you and me." Luigi looked down and sniffed. Mario cringed then went to his little brother, tightly hugging him.

SMB

Suddenly there was a knock. The two tensed. Mario put a finger to his lips and stealthily went to the door. Luigi readied his trusty hammer. Mario opened the door and gasped, exclaiming, "Waluigi, Wario!" The two barrelled in without a greeting. Luigi gaped. They'd been _right_! Mario quickly locked the door. "What are you two _doing_ out here? If the military had caught you, who _knows_ what would have happened!" he chastised.

"Stuff it, pasta boy," Wario shot. "We're not staying. We're just here because Waluigi had a sudden attack of longing."

"I am _not_ longing for her! I am not depressed about our fight, I am not suicidal, I'm _not_! Angry and ready to kill someone, yes, _not_ suicidal! Waluigi doesn't get suicidal unless he has nothing _else_ to do! Even _then_ that one time was just curiosity!" Waluigi vehemently defended.

"A hobby of suicide, hah! Always thought that would be _Luigi's_ game, not _you_," Wario bit, taking a soda from Mario and Luigi's fridge.

"Hey!" Luigi shot, offended. He didn't deny it, though, and Mario icily glared at his brother. "What?" Luigi asked, wondering why Mario was looking at him like that.

SMB

The cousins were gathered in the living room of the house now, talking. "So what are we gonna do about the infection?" Wario asked after learning who all was at Peach's castle.

"We're a going to _stop_ it," Mario replied as if it were obvious.

"Let me rephrase. What are you and _Luigi_ gonna do? _I_ have no interest in a rescue mission. I wanna protect my treasure," Wario declared. "Mona was annoying anyway. We're going back to my castle the moment we're done _here_. And never coming out until this is all behind us. Diamond City is a lost cause already." Quickly Wario explained to his cousins what he'd already told his brother. In exchange, Mario and Luigi informed him of the other areas that were done for.

"Rougeport was just added, and Isle Delfino. The radios have stopped broadcasting now too," Luigi finished sadly. Wario and Waluigi were silent, staring down at their sodas. Even _Wario_ had stopped eating all the leftovers in the house.

SMB

Mario suddenly recovered and frowned, saying, "This ends now. _I'll_-a go try and save the world. You guys don't need to come."

"Yeah, we can do it without you," Luigi boasted.

Mario hesitated then said, "Uh, not you Luigi. You stay right here and guard the city. I'll go myself."

"Wha!? B-but Mario, we're a team! We're the Mario Brothers," Luigi protested.

"Luigi, we don't know what we're up against, and I don't want you getting in over your head and being hurt," Mario replied.

"I fought through a mansion full of ghosts by _myself_ to save you!" Luigi said.

"I said no, Luigi!" Mario shot. "I'd-a take _Wario_ before you. I don't _care_ what happens to _him_."

"Of course, Mario and Wario go off while Waluigi and Luigi are left behind, sitting ducks," Waluigi grumbled.

"Wario's-a staying too. He doesn't want to go," Mario stated simply. Waluigi harrumphed then got up and left the room.

Luigi sighed deeply, saying glumly, "Okie-dokie bro. I'm going… somewhere. Take care, I guess." With that he left the room. He looked back and saw his relatives talking in hushed tones. Ensuring the other three weren't looking, Luigi quickly slipped out a window and walked away from the house, head hung and feet dragging.

SMB

Luigi walked towards a park nearby, sulking and avoiding the military at all costs; and any animals or things that looked suspicious. The _last_ thing he needed was to get infected. "Humph, with _my_ luck _Daisy_ will probably fall for Mario _too_. So will the other girls," he said to himself. He entered the garden. He stopped to look up longingly at the full moon. It was blood red and longing fell to misery. He almost burst into tears. What was happening to everything he knew and loved? Suddenly, though, a cloaked woman stumbled into his arms from nowhere, panicked, gasping for air. Alarmed, and even _that_ was an understatement, he asked, "Are you okay, ma'am!?"

The woman began to sob into him saying, "Luigi, Luigi, help me, please! You and your brother have to help me!"

He recognized the voice from the first word. "Daisy! You're okay! How did you get here!? What happened?! Are you hurt?!"

"N-no. Luigi, it's Rosalina. She-she's hurt. We were fleeing and-and she fell and sprained her ankle. I managed to lead away the Infected and get her somewhere safe, but I-I don't know how much time she has left before they find her!" Daisy replied, weeping. Luigi blanched, looking sick.

"It's all right, Princessa, I'm a bringing you somewhere safe," Luigi swore. Without a word more he quickly brought Daisy back to his house.

SMB

Wario and Waluigi gaped in disbelief. Mario was white. At the close of Daisy's narrative, Mario buried his face in his hands and shook his head hopelessly. It was late out now. They would never get to Rosalina in time, he believed. Luigi reached out to comfort his brother but stopped. Mario didn't want contact right now. Mario hadn't felt so hopeless for years. Luigi sniffed and looked down. "We-we should check on the others," Wario remarked.

"No… King Boo and Petey Piranha know something, Rosalina sensed it," Daisy said. "Besides, Rosalina's the queen of the cosmos. She could be our best chance at beating this thing. Even if she's not, we have to _help_ her."

"Mario should try and find Rosalina. Luigi can bring Daisy to the Castle. Wario and I aren't-a bothering with this mess, remember?" Waluigi replied, pointedly looking at his sibling.

"Oh-oh yeah, not bothering…" Wario replied, hesitating. Waluigi stiffened. If Wario suddenly agreed to go with Mario on this death sentence, oh there would be Hades to pay. Luckily Wario didn't, just fell silent again. They heard moaning outside, the doors being pounded on and screams sounding. They heard bullets, more screaming, then a knock.

Luigi numbly rose and answered only to see the Toad General. "Is everyone okay?" the General asked nervously.

"Yeah," Luigi quietly replied. He looked out and cringed. Obviously the _soldiers_ weren't. Some of them had been bitten and were weeping helplessly. They knew what fate was coming to them, and their grief stricken comrades weren't taking it easily _either_. "Yeah…" he repeated. Quietly he shut the door.

He returned and quickly filled the others in on what had just happened. Waluigi shook his head then said, "It's too dangerous to leave Rosalina out there tonight. If no one else is going out, _I'll_ search for her. I'll bring Daisy along to the Castle. Rosalina would have tried to make it there."

"Thanks Waluigi," Daisy replied smiling sadly, eyes filled with miserable tears. Her smile fell and she added, "Kong Island and Yoshi Island, they've been overtaken. No 'survivors.' Sarasaland… It's gone. Daddy… _daddy's_ gone _too_." She burst into tears, finally, and buried her face in her hands. Luigi was there in an instant, holding her close, pale himself.

"The world is ending right in front of us," Wario glumly realized. Without a word more he rose and went to the couch where he planned to set up for the night, albeit it wasn't exactly evening yet.

"Just-just let me rest for a bit before we go back out there," Daisy pled to Waluigi.

"We're going to search for Rosalina. If she's hurt, she needs help fast," Mario said. "You can stay here, Daisy, with Luigi and Waluigi. Wario and I will go look for her."

"Wa? But-but-but…" Waluigi began.

"So long, losers," Wario said, walking out of the house with Mario before Waluigi, Luigi, or Daisy could protest.

"Stupid Wario," Waluigi grumbled.

SMB

It had gotten dark out. Luigi was worried sick, pattering around the house doing bits of housework here and there; a coping method no doubt, Waluigi knew. Waluigi, however, couldn't very well deny worry _himself_. "We should all get to bed. They should be back when we wake up, right?" Waluigi asked, tone more uncertain than he would have liked it to be.

Daisy sniffed and rose. "Where can I sleep?" she asked.

"Come with me, Princessa," Luigi replied gently, stopping in the middle of his dusting and going protectively over to her. Luigi took her arm gently and brought Daisy up to his room. He laid her in his bed. "I'll-a sleep on the couch, Daisy. Don't worry," he soothed. She didn't reply, tears still falling from her eyes. Luigi felt his heart sinking and swiftly left the room. To see the tough tomboy reduced to tears… It just wasn't right…

Bowing his head, Luigi returned to where Waluigi was laying on the couch, his designated sleeping spot which he'd robbed from Wario. Wario wouldn't be happy, but Waluigi couldn't care less. "They had better be back soon," Waluigi remarked.

Luigi ignored the remark, looking around to see where _he_ would sleep. Seeing as everywhere else was taken—he wasn't very well going to pull a Waluigi and steal Wario's spot—the easy chair would be his. "If you and Wario go back to Diamond City… Cuz, we'll never see you again," Luigi suddenly warned, settling into the chair for the night as he changed the subject from their absent brothers.

"It's always been you and him _anyway_," Waluigi replied bitterly. There was silence. He closed his eyes then added, "Besides, it's the _other_ way around. If you and _Mario_ stay here, _you'll_ die. The military is being picked off piece by piece. It's only a matter of time before the Mushroom Kingdom collapses in on itself."

"If the world ended, it would be alright if we four could just _find_ each other… because then… then there would be some semblance of normality. It wouldn't just be two against the world. We… we would have each _other_, _feed_ off of each other… But then we would never know about each other's existence, _would_ we? We would all disappear; we'd never know if the other two lived, never even talk about each other…"

"Fate likes to play games. Unfortunately, not everyone likes its sense of humor," Waluigi grumbled.

"We four could take on the world, you know," Luigi remarked. Hyperbole, perhaps, but then again…

Waluigi was silent, allowing himself to digest this surprisingly profound, if you could call it that, statement. "… I know, but does anyone _else_? Go to sleep," Waluigi replied, not wanting to hear it. Luigi soon began to slumber. Waluigi sighed deeply. He'd never wanted to kill himself before, not seriously, but right now… Now he was toying with the thought. No, no, he was better than that. He was… he was…


	6. Saving Daisy

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: With luck I'll have more than just this chapter up today.)

Saving Daisy

"Princessa, get up," Daisy heard someone mutter, lightly shaking her.

She groaned and opened her eyes. Seeing him she screamed and sat bolt upright. "Waluigi!" she yelled furiously. Who gave him permission to be near her while she was sleeping? He was rolling his eyes.

"We're leaving now," he simply replied. "Grab breakfast from Luigi and get in the car. Mario and Wario came back with Rosalina."

Daisy, at first lost, quickly remembered. Her expression became one of intense relief. She nodded numbly then got up and followed. She walked into the kitchen only to see Luigi gazing despondently out the boarded up window. Hearing her he turned slightly, nodded, then looked back. Mario and Wario were eating. Rosalina was napping on the couch, her ankle wrapped now. "You and Waluigi are going ahead. The military's not out in force yet. You two should be fine, as long as you can get into the castle without being shot. Avoid the things, though, they're out there," Luigi warned. He didn't dare call them zombies. Zombies meant they had died, but these ones hadn't… At least not technically. "Mario and Rosalina will follow you in Mario's car later. Wario and I will take the bike a few hours after them so that we can finish up a few things here."

Daisy quietly finished the bacon and eggs. She went up behind Luigi and wrapped her arms around him quietly. "Don't worry sweetie, everything will be okay," she murmured, head resting on his shoulder. He looked sadly back then forced a smirk, taking her arms and turning, gazing at her quietly. She smiled reassuringly, giggled, then suddenly pecked his lips. Luigi gaped and went red, looking a moment terrified.

"P-princessa!" he stammered, pulling back unsure of what to do. She laughed at his awkwardness then pecked him again. He gaped after her. As she disappeared, he dreamily sighed, the magnitude of what had just happened hitting him hard.

SMB

Daisy and Waluigi drove along in silence. "So… Why were you searching for her?" Daisy finally questioned, trying to break the tense atmosphere.

Waluigi grumbled something under his breath and replied, "Because I felt like it."

"Is that guilt?" Daisy teased.

"Waluigi doesn't _feel_ guilt!" Waluigi defended. "He just… feels like he could have handled things better."

"You're feeling guilty," Daisy teased, nudging him playfully. She never really got along with the man, or liked him, but right now he was one of the few she knew to be still normal. Besides, to get under his skin was too much of a temptation. He reacted in many amusing ways.

"No one _asked_ you!" Waluigi barked. "What are you? The bratty sister I never _had_? We're not even pretending just so we can crash _dances_." Yes, they'd pretended to be siblings once or twice before to get into family dances and other such things where only family was allowed. After the incident on Syrup's ship, why not? Don't mess with a useful thing. Pretending to be siblings had saved them _before_.

Daisy giggled then looked ahead. She paled and screamed, "Waluigi, look out!"

Waluigi gasped and turned. There was a person right in the middle of the road! He jammed on the breaks, but not soon enough. The person was hit and flew forward. "Mama Mia!" Waluigi exclaimed. He and Daisy leapt out of the car and raced ahead.

"Are you okay!" Daisy exclaimed, falling next to the toad. Slowly the toad rolled over groaning, and Daisy paled. His eyes were red! She screamed as it lunged, pulling back quickly. Waluigi gasped and raced ahead, pulling her to her feet.

"Back to the car!" he ordered.

"Don't!" Daisy exclaimed, stopping him. Waluigi looked ahead and paled. The car was being swarmed by infected. He and Daisy tensed up, getting into fighting poses.

"Not good," Waluigi grumbled.

SMB

"Waluigi, we're surrounded," Daisy warned hollowly, looking around. Waluigi nearly swore but stopped himself. Not in the presence of a princess, he chided himself. No matter _how_ tough and tomboyish she usually was. He turned. There was an opening. He grabbed Daisy's wrist and dragged her towards it. Daisy caught on and followed. They shot passed the toad they'd hit and dashed for the palace.

"We'll never make it," Daisy panted. Waluigi said nothing. Honestly, he was in full agreement; but he wasn't going to stop, and nor was _she_.

All at once a hoard ran out screaming and growling. The two screamed and ran even faster. "Come on, come on," Waluigi willed. All at once something jumped at him.

"No!" Daisy cried, pulling to a stop and dragging him out of its way. Waluigi gaped at the toad in disbelief. "Waluigi, we need to fight back!" Daisy insisted.

"Are you _insane_?!" Waluigi demanded. Daisy nudged him hard then shoved a power-up his way. His vines! She must have taken some power-ups from the car. "Fine," he relented, snatching it. Daisy smirked then bit into her crystalline power-up.

"Oh yeah, Daisy!" she cheered herself. Immediately she sent the crystals shooting forward, striking a wall of infected. She didn't want to kill any of them, but she knew they needed to disappear. Waluigi, on the other hand, didn't care either way. He lashed out with the whip viciously striking anything and everything.

SMB

It was all a blur, mostly, until finally everything went quiet. The two stood back to back panting. Finally their powers wore off and Waluigi ordered, "Get in the car." Daisy nodded, looking down at her arm silently. Slipping inside, Waluigi started it and waited for Daisy. He noticed she looked pale, afraid. He began to drive with a sigh then asked, "What's the matter with _you_?"

"Nothing…" she quietly answered, but her voice was hardly a squeak. He looked curiously over then back at the road. Fine. If she didn't want to talk, it wasn't his problem. "Waluigi…" she suddenly said.

He glanced over curiously. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, then showed her arm. He jammed on the brakes and caught his breath, paling. He grabbed her arm roughly and gazed at it in horror. No… no, no, no, this wasn't happening. "Y-you were… you were _scratched_?" he tightly asked. She sobbed, shivering. He could only stare at her in disbelief. He had no clue what to do now. He sat back in the driver's side, stunned. He looked back at her when she drew close to him shaking. On autopilot he allowed the proximity and put his arm around her shoulder awkwardly. He wasn't much of a comforter, but he _was_ all she had. "How… how long until it takes _effect_?" he asked.

"Sometimes hours, sometimes minutes," she answered. "I-I don't know how the infection spreads, if it's through blood or bites or scratches or all three."

"Minutes?" he asked. She nodded. He was silent. He looked at the injury again. "I could have scratched you with my vines," he uncertainly suggested. She was quiet. It was a possibility, she hoped that was all it _was_, but could they risk it all to chance something of this _magnitude_? Finally he asked, "What… oh Star Spirits… what do you want me to _do_, Daisy?"

She was quiet. Finally she replied, "I should leave. Before I turn…"

"You don't even know if the scratch is-a _gonna_ turn you! Look, sister, if I could go anywhere but back to my cousins' house I would boot you out _myself_! Since I _do_ have to go back there, I'm not leaving you alone until I have no choice. I'm a dead man _already_!" Waluigi shot; which, he knew, was true, because if he went back only to tell of Daisy's loss, Luigi would tear into him like there was no tomorrow; very likely going into Mr. L form to do so as _well_. He wasn't in the mood to argue over who was Luigi's counterpart, rival, or whatever. He continued to drive, hoping for the best. Even if it _wasn't_ just a scratch from his vines, perhaps Daisy was _immune_.

SMB

They made it into the palace yard without being seen. Not a surprise, Waluigi figured. As far as _he_ was concerned the toads were next to _useless_. He looked back to check on Daisy. She was pale, but beyond that sign of fear nothing had changed. That was a good sign, at least. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the palace's secret side entrance. They slipped inside quickly and Waluigi raced through with Daisy. He had to find the others and quick. Maybe one of them could deal with this situation. The two darted up to the ballroom where the survivors were gathered.

Pauline was watching out the window when suddenly the door was thrown open. She gasped, eyes wide, and whirled, prepared to fight anything that may be trying to attack. The other survivors leapt to their feet, getting into position. They all gasped, however, on seeing the newcomers. "Daisy!" Peach cried out. Daisy looked so pale and afraid, and Waluigi was holding her hand tightly. Waluigi _never_ held hands unless it was for a darn good _reason_. Was Daisy infected? Peach rushed forward with Mona to check on her.

"No!" Mona cried, examining her friend's scratch carefully. Donkey Kong came over and took her arm.

"What happened?" Diddy demanded.

"We were swarmed," Waluigi replied like it was obvious. "She came to Mario's house last night telling us about her and Rosalina's escape. She said Rosalina was hurt and that we needed to go out and find her. Mario and Wario took off to search and came back with the Star Queen and one of her lumas hours later. We were told that Sarasaland, Kong Island, and Yoshi Island were done for. I was bringing her back here when we were… waylaid. She was scratched, but she hasn't turned yet and hasn't shown _signs_ of turning," Waluigi explained.

"Why _you_?" Dixie wondered. He blushed and fell silent.

Tiny tightly giggled then replied for him, "Little crush? Or maybe for something _else_?"

"Hah!" Waluigi scoffed.

"You-you need to quarantine me quickly, just in case I turn," Daisy urgently said.

"Daisy…" Peach began. Oh Luigi would snap.

"It's just in case, Peach," Daisy assured. "If I haven't turned in an hour, at least you'll know scratches have no effect. "I'm not even sure if it was a scratch from a Toad or from Waluigi's _whip_. Ooh, wait; that came out wrong."

"_I'll_ say," Waluigi agreed, grimacing at her words.

"Mario will be able to tell if it was from a zombie or a whip, but until he comes back, let's get Daisy quarantined," Peach relented, albeit reluctantly. Quickly Peach and Mona raced off with the Sarasaland Princess.

"Where _are_ the others _anyway_?" Funky questioned.

"Mario and Rosalina will be here soon with Luma. After that, Luigi and Wario will come," Waluigi replied.

"Then we can _get_ somewhere," Ashley said.


	7. Separated

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Second up today. I'm sort of going for a subtly more intelligent Bowser, like he is in the 3D Mario games. The RPG's portray him as more of a comical villain, so I try to balance the comedy with the wiser version that I prefer.)

Separated

Mario and Rosalina had come with Luma, by now. Immediately Mario had gone to check on Daisy and had quickly enough determined the scratches on her arm to have come from the thorns on Waluigi's vine whip; which was a huge relief for them all because now they knew the princess to be safe. At least for now, that was. Daisy sat with them in silence. They were waiting for Luigi and Wario. The doors to the room suddenly burst open. Quickly everyone turned. Right on cue the very two walked in, Luigi panting and puffing for breath, Wario looking infuriated. "And I-a thought _rush_ hour was bad. Zombies make it worse. I had to drive over other _cars_. There was-a no way I was leaving my bike behind," Wario grumbled.

"Luigi!" Mario exclaimed, worriedly observing his brother's state of shock.

"S-so, many, infected," Luigi panted, straightening up and wiping his forehead. Polterpup was yapping in excitement and wagging his tail enthusiastically. Luigi put him down and the ghostly puppy began darting around, leaping up on and licking everyone it possibly could. Wario set his pet hen on the ground and petted its feathers. The hen clucked in enjoyment and began walking around the room, exploring her new surroundings.

SMB

"All right, what's the plan?" DK questioned, eager to get this situation dealt with as soon as possible.

"We need to find Petey Piranha and King Boo," Mario replied. "Maybe they know what's-a going on, what's-a spreading this infection."

"What about Bowser?" Peach asked.

"Bowser and his family are none of our concern," Mario replied, frowning. "They abandoned this place the moment things got bad." Peach looked worriedly out the window. She knew she shouldn't, but oh how she hoped he and his children were all right.

"It will be best if we all stay together," Rosalina said.

"_I'll_ say. In every horror movie or story ever written, splitting up usually ends in fatality," Daisy agreed.

"It's-a naïve to think we're all-a gonna make it unaffected _anyway_," Waluigi said, shrugging.

"He's right. Even if we do everything _right_, there are too many of us to get off unscathed," Luigi agreed, holding Polterpup nervously. The pup whined and Luigi put him down, letting him chase around Wario's hen who clucked in protest. "The chances are we'll-a get separated at some point _regardless_. Maybe that would be best."

"No, let's stick together for as long as we can," Candy said.

"We're doomed, man," Tiny pessimistically said, bowing her head sadly. Funky put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and offered a smile. She smiled weakly back.

All at once there was a crunching sound. Everything went quiet. Polterpup and Hen stopped running around and turned in the direction the noise had come from. Luma began shivering and whimpering, hiding in Rosalina's arms. The groans and moans of infected were echoing from below. "They've gotten into the castle," Peach hoarsely said.

"Oh no, there's no _way_ we're dying this early on," Dixie stated, frowning angrily. The very _idea_ of it was seriously putting her out. "Let's show these lumbering freaks what we can do."

SMB

The infected burst through the doors of the ballroom and immediately the large group began firing on them. There was only one possible entrance to this room from the lower floors, and they were coming through it and falling by the dozens, trapped in a narrow area and unable to dodge the attacks that were coming at them; peanut bullets, bananas, magic blasts, fire balls, lightning strikes, vine whips, and more. The group began to advance, pushing forward. They needed to clear out this area and get to a safe room in the palace, if possible. On second thought, judging by the enemies pouring in it would probably be easier, and smarter, to get out the side exit. Currently the safest place in this palace was an area they couldn't reach, at present. The Boo Courtyard. After all, the boos were _already_ technically dead. They could kill but not _be_ killed, though they _could_ be defeated with effort; namely the Poltergust. The side exit was their second best bet seeing as the safe room was more likely than not blocked off by a few swarms of ex-servants.

"To your left!" Diddy called to Funky.

"Behind you, dude!" Funky replied, listening to Diddy's warning and giving him one in return as he demolished the group coming at him. Diddy spun around and began firing. One leapt at him and he let out a monkey shriek of terror. Suddenly it was shot, though, and Diddy looked over. Dixie smiled at him and winked, saluting. Diddy grinned and turned back to the fight.

"The Kong clan works pretty _well_ together," Mona remarked, surprised.

"We aren't doing so badly ourselves, hon," Pauline said. She, Ashley, Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina were all in a little circle firing off in all directions.

"You think _we're_ doing well, check out the _Quadrangle_," Ashley remarked, pointing towards Mario, Wario, Luigi, and Waluigi, each of which was playing off of each other's strengths and weakness. Mario and Luigi had good chemistry, as did Wario and Waluigi. Wario had bad chemistry with Mario and neutral chemistry with Luigi whereas Waluigi was neutral with Mario and bad with Luigi. It was a cocktail that worked well for the cousins. They knew each other's strengths, weaknesses, and moves. They knew what to avoid and what worked; and they were _definitely_ working it.

SMB

"We're almost there!" Peach called, leading the way through the maze of corridors that would eventually lead to the secret exit at the side of her castle.

"This way!" she, Mario, and Daisy all exclaimed at the same time. The trio broke off in three different directions, the group unintentionally breaking apart as well.

SMB

Daisy ran through a door and gasped, freezing. They were in the Grand Hall! And she was thanking her lucky stars there were no infected here. She turned quickly to count heads and gasped, paling. The only ones with her were Yoshi, Rosalina, Luma, Parakarry, Funky, Dixie, and Ashley! "Where are the others?!" she demanded. They looked around, just noticing the absences.

"We split _up_!" Dixie realized in horror.

"We have to go back, don't we?" Parakarry urgently asked.

"We can't, we're too close to the outside now. For all we know they're gone," Ashley replied. "It's too risky."

"I hate to admit it, dudes, but she's right," Funky agreed. "Besides, there are a group of infected coming up on us fast!"

"Yoshi," Yoshi said, which roughly translated into, "Let's go."

"The sooner we leave the better," Rosalina agreed, immediately racing into the Grand Hall and towards the main door, hoping and praying there would be nothing immediately on the other side.

SMB

Peach, Birdo, Diddy, Toad, and Candy searched frantically around for the others on getting outside the secret entrance. "Where are they, Princess?" Toad fearfully questioned.

"They took a wrong turn, they _must_ have," Peach replied. "They should have _followed_ me. This is _my_ palace. No one knows it _better_."

Birdo gave a series of sounds that, when translated, went, "Mistakes happen, Peach. There was a lot of pressure and urgency."

"I know, I know, but-but what if they're gone?" Peach asked.

"Then we have to press on," Candy replied.

"We can't just leave them," Diddy said, forlornly gazing back at the castle. Both DK and Dixie were still _in_ there somewhere, and Funky and Tiny.

"Diddy, we'll find them," Candy assured. He looked up at her and nodded helplessly.

"Until then we need to keep moving," Peach said. Immediately the group started off.

SMB

Mona, Toadette, DK, Tiny, and Pauline slid to a stop, finding themselves outside though not near the others. "Hey, where's Mario and Wario. They were here just a _second_ ago!" Mona exclaimed worriedly.

"Shoot, we must have _lost_ them," Pauline said.

"Well what are we supposed to do _now_? Go _back_?" Toadette asked.

"No way, too risky," Tiny replied.

"We'll try to find them, but we need to keep moving before the infected swarm us," DK said.

"Right, follow me," Mona said, taking the lead from Mario. The others followed, not inclined to argue over who the leader would be.

SMB

Mario raced through a door and slid to a stop, exclaiming, "Mama Mia!" _This_ wasn't the way! Oops. He had just raced into the Boo _Courtyard_; surprisingly far less blocked off by infected than any of them had thought. Shoot, if only they'd tried it to _start_ with. He looked quickly around, realizing he was all alone. He paled. "Hello, is anyone there?" he called out worriedly. "Hello?!"

No reply. All that was heard was the cackling of the boos that were floating around aimlessly. What was he supposed to do _now_? Where could he _go_? He snapped his fingers. He would go back home. He could stock up there and maybe that would be where the others would look for him. Just in case he was wrong, though. He took out a piece of paper and wrote a quick message on it saying where he was. He went up to a statue and pinned it there. All at once he was seized from behind and screamed in terror, spinning. "Wario!" he exclaimed as his cousin laughed, rolling on the ground and holding his sides. To add insult to injury, his cousin's pet Hen clucked as if laughing as well.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Wario exclaimed.

"Enough playing around, Wario, where are the others?" Mario demanded.

Wario, still snickering, stood. Getting a hold of himself he replied, "I-a got separated and found my way _here_. You happened to be around."

"Is there anyone else?" Mario hopefully asked, looking passed Wario and willing Luigi to appear.

"Not that I saw," Wario replied, turning as well with a wistful look. He almost expected Waluigi to walk in right then.

"We'll head to my house. Maybe the others will look there for us," Mario suggested.

"Mario!" Luigi's voice suddenly cried out as Luigi burst into the courtyard in a panic, Polterpup hot on his heels. He slid to a stop and gasped, seeing his two relatives. "Mario, Wario, we found each other!" he exclaimed, racing to them gleefully and seizing them in a tight hug.

"Get off, string bean!" Wario shot, shoving Luigi roughly onto the ground. Luigi, hardly daunted, leapt up beaming.

"I-a thought I was all _alone_, bro!" Luigi exclaimed to Mario. "Where's Waluigi?"

"You didn't see him?" Mario asked.

"I didn't see _anybody_," Luigi replied, frowning with a puzzled expression. He cringed on seeing the way Wario's expression fell ever so slightly. The portly man looked back once more at the door as Polterpup whimpered and the hen preened her feathers.

"Mario, Wario, Luigi!" a voice sharply called. They looked quickly up and saw Waluigi standing in a window high above the courtyard.

"Waluigi!" the three exclaimed together. Waluigi lowered some of his vines.

"Get up here!" he ordered. Quickly they obeyed, clambering up. "Let's-a go back to Mario's house already." The other three nodded in agreement.

"Where are the others?" Mario asked.

"They went down a different path, _stupid_. You-a led us the wrong _way_!" Waluigi yelled furiously. There were four of them currently, which meant trouble. "I'm-a better off on my own!" Furiously Waluigi began to storm away. The other three and the two pets followed him.

SMB

"Where do we go from here?" Ashley asked Daisy, who was scanning the streets of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"I don't know what _Mario_ is thinking, but _I_ sure as heck say we need to find _Bowser_. More likely than not, he or one of his brood are behind this," Daisy replied.

"Who knows where he's _gone_, though?" Dixie said.

"If Bowser doesn't want to be found, he _won't_ be," Yoshi stated in his regular squeaks and grunts that the others somehow understood.

"I wouldn't say that," Rosalina declared. She waved her wand and an image appeared. "Here's here," Rosalina stated, pointing out the area. "Sky World."

"That _would_ be a perfect place to hide," Funky remarked.

"There's a castle there, a gift that he gave to his eldest son Ludwig. Peach said that once while she was captured, before Junior or Larry were born and when Morton was a baby and Wendy was a toddler, he gathered together his four eldest children and gave them each an allotment. He let them—I think Ludwig would have only been ten or eleven at the time, maybe younger, maybe older, who's to say?—choose what area they wanted. Ludwig chose first and picked Pipe World and Sky Land. His three younger siblings scoffed. Roy and Iggy thought those two lands were the worst ones to rule over. Lemmy just preferred the snow and agreed that the lands were in a dumb place. Bowser, though, smiled at Ludwig, obviously impressed and proud. It turns out he _wanted_ to see if Ludwig was clever enough to see the Pipe World and Sky Land for their true worth and not just superficially. Ludwig knew, as did Bowser, that the two areas were the most strategic of all the castle holds, and the ones with the greatest advantages. Peach said Bowser had never done anything that had impressed her more than that little test," Daisy stated.

"Hmm, it sounds like this Ludwig can actually boast a _brain_," Ashley remarked; which, sad to say, was more than she could say for _most_ of the boys in her age-range of thirteen to twenty.

"Do we know the _way_ to it?" Dixie asked.

"We'll _find_ a way," Daisy confidently replied. With that she led them onward.


	8. Reuniting

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Third up today.)

Reuniting

"This was a _bad_ idea," Wario stated as he, Luigi, and Mario stood in the Mario Brothers' house. "Why would Waluigi go back to the palace _alone_?"

"I tried to keep up, but he _shook_ me!" Luigi insisted. "I-a don't know what he's looking for there, but it's-a gonna to cost him his _life_."

"He's-a been gone too long," Wario declared impatiently, watching out the windows and sniping the toad zombies with fireballs, courtesy of Mario's power flower bouquet. "Someone should go after him."

"Not-a me," Luigi quickly said shaking his head fervently, determined not to risk it. He was shaking already, gazing out the windows in terror. He'd hardly made it _back_ here alone. He was fairly sure Waluigi had attempted to kill him, because his cousin had taken off with all the power-ups leaving him completely _defenseless_.

"I'll go," Mario declared, taking a couple of power flowers and mushrooms, and walking towards the door.

Wario shrugged, answering, "Your funeral. He isn't worth the breath." Mario harrumphed and left.

Luigi looked at Wario. "Wario, what are _we_ supposed to do?" he asked.

"Sit here and wait until the world is saved by some hero," Wario replied.

"But Mario _is_ the hero," Luigi protested.

"We might still live _anyway_," Wario replied. Luigi blinked then face palmed, sighing.

SMB

In terror Waluigi began to creep away from the palace gates. Oh star spirits, he was alone out here. He knew from the moment he'd taken off on Luigi that he'd made a big mistake. What? So _sue_ him for disliking his cousin. Now he was regretting it, though. In every horror book or film he'd ever read or watched, the one who had gone off alone ended up dead, without fail, dead. Would _he_ meet that stereotype _too_? He wondered if Luigi already _had_. Oh how lucky _that_ would be. The moment he reached town the infected began to be aware of him. All at once there was shrieking and moaning and groaning and roaring. They charged. Waluigi cried out in terror and booked it towards his cousins' house. Why had he even _left_, he wondered? Oh right, he'd claimed scouting and had brought Luigi along.

All at once more of the creatures poured from the alleys, scrambling towards him foaming at the mouth. He slid to a stop and paled. He was trapped, blocked in, surrounded, and powerless. "No, no, no," he repeated over and over, crouching low. Oh gods, he was going to _die_! "Help!" he cried out in terror as they all charged at him.

SMB

Mario drove through the town pale. More than once he had almost been swarmed by the infected or even by survivors trying to get away and steal his car. He looked to the side and patted his trusty fire flower. He was armed and ready. Up ahead, towards the palace, he saw a large swarm and swallowed. Great, here he went. Wait… they weren't focussed on him. They were focused on someone else. He blanched. The purple hat towering in the middle looked all too familiar. Oh no. Mario gassed it and rolled down the window, calling, "Waluigi, cousin, over here!"

Waluigi sharply looked up. "Help!" he called to Mario.

Mario gritted his teeth. There was no way in Hades those things would tear apart his baby cousin! He whipped out the fire flower and aimed out the window, scorching the toads, which in turn screamed in pain and fled. What was that idiot _thinking_? He should have stuck with Luigi! Then again, when asking himself if he would have stuck with Wario, Mario found himself at a disturbing lack of an answer. Mario bit his tongue nervously as he watched the toads trying to tear his cousin apart. Waluigi clung onto a lamp post tightly, just out of reach, but he was steadily slipping towards them. "Hold on, Waluigi!" Mario called out. Plowing through the toads he screeched to a stop right below. He kicked open the side door and Waluigi swung into it, slamming it before the toads could try and rip it off. Flooring it, Mario tore away from the scene.

SMB

"Waluigi, what-a _happened_ there?" Mario demanded.

"E-everyone's gone! I couldn't find them _anywhere_!" Waluigi replied, panting.

Mario was pale, lips pursed as they drove along silently. He hoped the others were still okay. It was quiet. _Too_ quiet. Any second now something would spring out, he just _knew_ it. "We have to stop this," Mario quietly said.

"No, you think?" Waluigi sarcastically asked. He felt like punching his cousin. Then again Mario _had_ saved his life. "That's-a _your_ job, _not_ mine!"

"You and Wario really won't do anything, _will_ you?" Mario asked in realization. Waluigi harrumphed and said nothing, looking instead out the window.

SMB

"Luigi, get your butt down here!" Wario roared as the infected pried at the windows roaring and growling. His pet Hen was freaking out, clucking desperately and flapping her wings in a panic. Wario picked her up and tucked her into a rucksack. Desperately he tried to keep the boards up, but he couldn't replace the barriers and get rid of the infected at the same _time_! It would figure that the minute Mario left they'd get swarmed. It pained him to admit it, but Luigi had toughed it out longer than he'd _thought_ he would. Of course, the fact he'd had a nervous breakdown and fled screaming killed any admiration Wario had felt.

Luigi, from his position hiding under the bed and shivering, heard Wario calling. Oh what was he doing? He could _handle_ this! It was just a few infected, that was all. What was the worst that could happen? He nearly burst into laughter. Polterpup, lying next to him, whimpered, licking Luigi's face comfortingly. Swallowing, Luigi climbed out and went to the drawn curtains of his window. They couldn't climb, they couldn't climb… oh star spirits, say they couldn't climb. Wario had _assured_ him they couldn't, not that Wario's words meant anything, but still. He gulped and opened the window only to come face to face with the hideous infected! He screamed in terror as it roared and smashed the window. He _knew_ they should have boarded up the upstairs, he'd _insisted_ to Wario, in fact, who had promptly laughed it off! Stupid Wario and his insistence these things couldn't climb. "Wario!" Luigi screamed as suddenly infected poured through his window. He bolted with Polterpup, grabbing a thunder power-up as he went.

Wario frowned. Suddenly the infected had stopped prying at the windows down here. Why? In fact, he couldn't see even _one_. His question was answered, though, when he heard Luigi screaming. Shocked he spun and stared wide eyed. Luigi and the dog were racing downstairs like Bowser _himself_ was on their tail. Master and pet peeled across the room towards him. Wario's mouth dropped as a huge swarm poured down the stairs like a waterfall. Luigi let a few blasts of lightning go like mad, striking them down, but more were coming. "What the…" Wario began.

"Run you son of a goomba!" Luigi ordered. Wario gasped and ran for the door. The two burst outside and fled from the house screaming.

"Mario and Waluigi, what about _them_?" Wario asked.

"I-I don't know," Luigi replied, leaping into the side cart of Wario's bike. Wario quickly jumped on. "We hope they _find_ us," Luigi muttered. Wario almost burst into laughter. Oh the cruel irony. They'd probably be assumed _dead_! Immediately he gunned the engine and tore off.

SMB

Mario drove in silence as Waluigi stared ahead listlessly. The home came into sight and the mouths of the two cousins slowly fell open. They sat up straight and went pale. Screams were trying to come from their throats, but they couldn't make a sound. The Mario Bros. house was swarming with infected, and no one could have gotten out _alive_! "No!" Mario finally shrieked, hitting the gas and plowing into the toads, all of which went soaring.

"Mario, no!" Waluigi screamed, grabbing the wheel and turning it away from the house. "We can't go _in_ there cuz! We would _die_!"

"Our brothers…" Mario tried to protest, struggling for possession of the wheel.

"They're gone, Mario, gone! Do you _hear_ me!?" Waluigi shouted, slapping Mario and switching places with him, taking over the driving.

Mario rubbed his cheek in shock and looked blankly at Waluigi. He was right… He was right. "Gone…?" Mario asked. "They might have gotten away before… before the swarm trapped them."

Waluigi sobbed and Mario looked sharply up only to see, for one of the very first and very few times in his life, terror and despair written on his cousin's face. "We're alone…" Waluigi muttered.

"They're out there, Walu, they're _out_ there!" Mario protested vehemently. "They… they _have_ to be." Waluigi forced himself to take control of his panic and finally nodded. He checked the gas. There wasn't much left. Soon they'd be walking to, well, wherever they were going. Speaking of which…

"Where are we going?" Waluigi asked.

Mario shifted uncomfortably then answered, "To find King Boo or Petey Piranha. I mean come on, a ghost and a _plant_? What are the odds the infection took over _them_ as _well_?"

"With _our_ luck? High," Waluigi pessimistically answered.

"We need to try. We have no _choice_ now," Mario replied. Waluigi nodded and drove towards the Piranha Plant grove where Petey resided.

SMB

"Where are we going, Wario?" Luigi wondered.

"Back to Diamond City. If we can wait in my castle, maybe they'll come looking," Wario replied.

"You said Diamond City was as good as done for," Luigi remarked.

"It is. My castle isn't _in_ Diamond City," Wario said.

"How long can we last there?" Luigi wondered.

Wario was silent a long moment. Finally he answered, "I don't know, Weegee."

"Mario was wrong…" Luigi remarked, dryly chuckling.

"Wrong?" Wario asked curiously.

"He told me you never kept a promise… Well you're still here. You're still here and we found each other," Luigi replied.

Wario glanced over at his cousin ponderously. "Hmm," he remarked. Honestly, he was slightly touched. Ugh, no. Wario didn't feel sentimentality. It wasn't his thing. "They'll be fine. They'd better be or I'll bring Waluigi back to life just to _kill_ him again."

SMB

"Where are we going, Peach?" Birdo wondered.

"Wario's Castle," she replied. "Mario's house was swarmed with infected, they wouldn't have gone there. They would have headed to _Wario's_ place. It's defenses are almost as good as Bowser's, and there's room to plan. It's out of the way, on the outskirts of Diamond City, so it would take some time for the hordes to reach them, _if_ they sensed them at _all_."

"At least we found this abandoned bus so we can all _travel_ together," Toad remarked, watching out the window.

"And hopefully Wario can improve it when we find him. You said he was an electrical genius, right?" Candy asked Peach.

"It's hard to believe, I know, but he once put together a time machine in a matter of _moments_," Peach said, smiling.

"Look, Wario's bike!" Diddy suddenly exclaimed, jamming on the breaks. Quickly they all raced out and gathered it up.

"They're not _here_," Toad wailed.

"Hopefully that just means they aren't dead _either_," Birdo said.

"With luck we might even find the Quadrangle heading down this road, then," Diddy said. Quickly they loaded up Wario's bike and entered the bus once more.

SMB

Wario's bike had gotten a flat, just in line with his and Luigi's luck, and now the two were walking somewhere in the country between the Mushroom Kingdom and Diamond City. Polterpup was sniffing ahead, the Hen perched on his back contentedly preening and looking cautiously around. Luigi looked over a design of Wario's castle, taking particular interest in the defenses. They were good, almost Bowser worthy. Would they be _enough_, though? He pursed his lips tightly. He supposed they'd have to take that chance. He looked around cautiously as they walked down the eerily empty highway. "We need to try and find a cure," Luigi remarked after a long moment of silence.

"That's-a Mario's thing," Wario answered.

"Wario, Mario might not _be_ here this time," Luigi sadly said. "And if _you_ don't help, I'll go _alone_."

"_You_? Hah! You couldn't face the hordes when we were fighting in _Mario's_ house. How are you gonna take them on by yourself?" Wario challenged.

"I'll _find_ a way. I'm-a not going to sit by and watch this world _burn_!" Luigi snarled sharply. Wario glanced over cautiously. Was the Mr. L in Luigi coming out? No… it wasn't. Luigi's Mr. L side would have been looking for a way to enslave the zombies and make them his to _command_. This was Luigi, looking to save a world that couldn't be saved anymore.

"Knock yourself dead, literally," Wario replied, shrugging. He wasn't budging in his resolve. If Luigi wanted to be a hero, _let_ him.

"Fine. Goodbye cuz. You won't see me again until this is over," Luigi bitterly nipped.

Wario started as Luigi marched off towards the countryside. Polterpup whined and followed. Wario's Hen leapt off the dog's back and into Wario's hands. Wario could only gape. Was his cousin _insane_? "Luigi, if our brothers and the others are still alive, they'll come _here_!" Wario called quickly after him. He would never admit it, but he wasn't inclined to be alone. He wasn't inclined to let the last known surviving member of his family, besides him of course, out of his sight _either_. He was feeling _protective_? Nah, couldn't be. He was only protective of his gold.

Luigi paused, though, and looked back. After a moment he said, "We can't wait."

"Three days, Luigi. If they haven't come, we'll leave," Wario promised. "_Two_ days?"

"Sorry cuz. Not this time," Luigi answered, smiling understandingly. He saw the look in Wario's eyes. The look he'd never seen before, ever, except for on rare occasions that was. Concern… His cousin was afraid for him. "I love you, Wario."

"Weegee, you've lost your _mind_!" Wario furiously yelled as Luigi started to fade into the bushes with his dog. No response. Wario just stood there like a bump. All at once he heard an engine. "Luigi, hold on, something's coming!" He'd never been more grateful to hear the sound of a motor. Luigi paused, turning curiously. Cautiously he came out to stand as his cousin's side. A bus came into view and the horn was honked.

Luigi's eyes widened. "It's _Diddy_!" The bus came to a stop and the doors opened. Wario and Luigi raced onto it and looked around. There sat Peach, Toad, Candy, and _Birdo_! "You're alive!" Luigi cheered.

"Where's-a my bike?" Wario asked. Surely they'd seen it in the road. Luigi had literally had to drag the sobbing Wario _away_ from it.

"Loaded up," Diddy replied.

"We fixed its flat," Candy offered, smiling.

"So, where are we heading?" Peach asked, smirking softly and going to Luigi and Wario, pecking the cheeks of both, making Wario's eyes light up in intrigue and Luigi blush.

"My Castle, of course," Wario replied. For once Luigi didn't argue that.

"Think you can McGoomver this bus into a weapon?" Birdo wondered of Wario in her usual grunts and squeaks that were, like Yoshi, somehow understood by everyone. Wario frowned and climbed out of the bus, looking it over. The next thing they knew there was the sound of power tools and the bus was shaking and jerking. In a few minutes Wario climbed back on, grinning wickedly and dusting off his hands. The others looked out the windows and gasped. There were spikes decorating the sides and rammers on the back and front. Spikes were also situated on the roof and undercarriage.

"Wood will only last so long. When we reach my castle, I'll change it to metal," Wario declared. He sat next to a stunned Luigi. Diddy, equally as shocked, began driving again. Polterpup and the Hen barked and clucked excitedly.

SMB

Sure enough Mario's car ran out of gas. Waluigi was self-pitying himself, leaning on the car roof sobbing and punching it, whining, "Why, why, _why_?!"

Mario was looking nervously around, hearing the moaning and groaning from various infected in the distance but getting closer. There was no sign of a gas station so no hope of them 'borrowing' some gas for the car. "He swallowed on seeing the forms of infected approaching at a slow pace. "Waluigi!" he sharply said.

"What?!" Waluigi shot sharply, immediately ceasing his crying and instead opting to become dangerously furious. That persona fell immediately on seeing what Mario was looking at. "Wonderful, we're gonna _die_ a horrible _death_," Waluigi grumbled, throwing his hands helplessly up in the air. "Why do the Star Spirits _hate_ me so!? You could save yourselves a lot of trouble and just _smite_ me, you know!"

"Waluigi," Mario said again, more firmly.

"Fine!" Waluigi shot. He'd try and hold off a death that was inevitable, though what the use of trying was, was beyond _him_. He pulled out his vine whip, holding it tightly. "Let's-a go." The hoard screamed and raced at them quickly, suddenly noticing the two. Mario let out a powerful fire column while Waluigi sent out his thorny vines as well as attacked with his wind abilities. When enemies got too close he pulled out his Waluigi Tornado move, sending them flying, but it was only a matter of time before they ran out of power and power-ups to replenish it.

All at once a plethora of different attacks sounded out and the two gasped, looking ahead. Their eyes widened. There, helping them fight off the hoard, was Mona, DK, Toadette, Tiny, and _Pauline_! In moments the rest of the hoard lay defeated and the group, panting, rejoined each other. "Hi ya Waluigi," Mona greeted, smiling perkily. "What a nightmare, huh?"

"But-but how, why, when…" Waluigi stammered.

"It was luck, really," Pauline said. "Mario, are you all right?"

"P-Pauline," he stammered. "I'm fine." He knew full well how badly he had hurt this girl and truth be told he still felt guilty about it, but at least they'd parted friends. His heart was with Peach, however, it would _always_ be.

She cast her eyes sadly down. "That's all you can say?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," he weakly offered. He'd lost _track_ of how many times he'd apologized to her for betraying her love.

"Any idea of where the others are?" Tiny asked, breaking up the moment.

"We don't know," Mario admitted.

"We're on our way to find Petey Piranha and King Boo," Waluigi explained. "Something's telling us they know something about what's-a happening here."

"Need help?" Toadette asked, smiling at him.

Waluigi smirked, "You think we wanna do this _alone_?"

"All right then, let's get moving," DK said. With that the group headed towards Piranha Grove.


	9. Reaching Sanctuary

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Bear with me here. I'm not great at action scenes and I prefer to avoid unnecessary scenes and graphic descriptions. I feel those take away from the story. Anyway, the first two casualties happen here and they are taken quite suddenly. I'll try to drag it out and not make it seem so random, but no promises. I've been focusing more on the story than who doesn't make it and who does. The survivors start to fluctuate now, losing some, other joining, losing other, etc.)

Reaching Sanctuary

"Kammy, Kamek!" Bowser bellowed.

Immediately the two Magikoopas flew into his bedroom, saluting. "Yes, your Angriness?" the two asked together.

"What's happening down below?" Bowser demanded.

"W-well, sir, from what we've been able to tell, Sarasaland, Rougeport, Isle Delfino, Beanland, Darklands, pretty much _everywhere_, has been completely overrun," Kammy replied.

"Are there any _survivors_?" Bowser demanded.

Kamek and Kammy exchanged looks then turned back to him. "We don't know, Bowser," Kamek replied. It was a rare time that he was actually able to call the boy he'd raised as a father by first name, anymore. He was the _only_ one of Bowser's subjects that could get away with it, and then only under special circumstances. This happened to be one of those circumstances. Bowser didn't show it, but he was shaken by what was happening; deeply so.

The Koopa King was silent a long moment. Finally he asked, "Where are my children?"

"In Ludwig's throne room, your Worriedness," Kammy replied. Bowser gave her a cold look. She awkwardly cleared her throat and glanced to the side.

"What are they doing gathered _there_?" Bowser asked.

"What they _usually_ do," Kamek wryly said. "You may want to check on them, your Snarliness. By now they could be _killing_ each other." Bowser started and inwardly groaned. Wonderful, this was just what he needed now; not. Grumbling, he walked out of his room, heading towards Ludwig's throne. It was funny in a way, he wryly told himself. This was so backwards. In all the stories he'd ever read or been told, it was always the child throwing itself at the mercy of the _parent_. It was always the child in danger or the child losing a battle who would flee to the sanctuary of his or her father or mother. This time it was him, the father, begging refuge from the _son_… A son whose birthright he'd taken, at that, though to be honest… To be honest, he was beginning to think twice about his decision, his thoughts confused and conflicting; especially now, with the future so uncertain. He didn't know if Junior could handle it if… if this was never fixed…

SMB

He pushed open the door to the throne room and gasped, paling. Six of his children were lined up against the walls, something between terrified and excited. His eldest and his youngest were in the middle of the room. Ludwig was spewing fire and sending magical blasts out after Junior, who running and jumping around trying to avoid his brother's attacks. "The throne should have been _mine_!" Ludwig furiously shouted.

"You're just jealous because a little kid took your place!" Junior shouted back, whipping out his paintbrush and painting a variety of minions, all of which raced out towards Ludwig. Ludwig demolished them without trouble and leapt forward, seizing his brother and throwing him to the side then leaping on top of him, pinning his sibling.

"Why should it be _you_ to rule the kingdom in the event of fazher's demise?! You are hardly more zen an _infant_! You cannot rule, Junior, you are too _young_! You are _not_ a leader, you are hardly a _prince_! The Darklands would _burn_ under your inexperienced rule!" Ludwig roared. He breathed a jet of flame, purposely missing his brother though only by a hair. The flame was hot enough, however, to make Junior whimper in pain and wriggle.

"Let go! Daddy _always_ hated you!" Junior shouted, grabbing his paintbrush and swiping it across Ludwig's face. Ludwig gasped and pulled off of him, wiping at the paint temporarily blinding him.

"How long has this been going on?" Bowser demanded of Lemmy.

"They've been at it for five _minutes_," Lemmy replied, excitedly bouncing on his ball.

Bowser charged forward, seeing Ludwig and Junior going at each other again in an attack that would more likely than not incapacitate, if not kill, Junior. What on Earth made his youngest think for a _moment_ he could take on the eldest? Junior had a tendency to pick fights he couldn't win, as did Larry. He seized Junior and Ludwig both, yelling, "Enough, _both_ of you! You keep this up and I'll make _Lemmy_ the heir to my throne!"

"Wait, _really_?" Lemmy asked, eyes lighting up.

"From what I'm seeing you'd make a better ruler than _either_ of these two!" Bowser replied to his second eldest. Besides, in the event that both he and his heir died, the throne would fall to Lemmy _anyway_. Hmm, he really needed to rectify that. If he was going to keep Junior as his heir, he should make it so that in the event he died, Ludwig would have his birthright again.

Meanwhile, Ludwig and Junior looked incredulously over at Lemmy, who was goofily grinning while balancing on his ball, then back at each other doubtfully. "If you want the Darklands to become a circus," Junior bit in response to his father's threat to make Lemmy the heir. Ludwig snickered.

"Leave Lemmy _alone_!" Larry insisted.

"It doesn't matter, baby brother," Lemmy said, shrugging the insult off though he was obviously unimpressed.

"Who I choose as my heir is none of you two's business!" Bowser shot at Junior and Ludwig.

"You've already chosen _me_!" Junior protested.

"Have I, Junior?" Bowser asked. Junior shrivelled, realizing he was walking on thin ice here, and cleared his throat, saying nothing.

SMB

Ludwig watched his throne room clear out, frowning. He went to the piano and began to play it to calm his nerves. Perhaps he had let things escalate too far too quickly. In all honesty, though he would have loved the throne, no part of him resented the fact Bowser had given the title of Crown Prince to Junior. Well, part of him resented it, but not to the degree of raging jealousy. He wasn't sure, entirely, why he had let his baby brother rile him up so much… No, perhaps that wasn't true… He knew what had bothered him. It wasn't necessarily the fact Junior was rubbing the fact shamelessly in his face in an attempt to infuriate him, it was the fact that he wasn't sure, and in fact was _afraid_, that if this world stayed as it was now, Junior wouldn't understand or know how to _cope_ with it…

His brother would flounder and fall, and there would be no one to pick up the pieces. Junior's stubborn pride, like Bowser's, would prevent him from accepting help from his siblings. This was not a place that Junior, at this young age, was capable of _ruling_. He was too young and too inexperienced; too naïve and too proud for his own good. In short, Ludwig was _worried_ for the pest. _Surely_ Bowser knew that if this world continued on in this state Junior wouldn't be able to handle the fallout… How could he help and safeguard his little brother if Junior didn't want to _be_ helped…?

SMB

Yoshi, Funky, Daisy, Dixie, Parakarry, Ashley, Luma, and Rosalina climbed up Grunge Mountain. "Thank goodness hardly anybody lives up here or we'd be in _big_ trouble," Parakarry remarked.

"Don't get _too_ confident. There are quite a _few_ town settlements up here," Daisy warned as she took hold of Parakarry's ankles. He flew her over a gap then went back for Funky and Ashley. Yoshi could flutter-jump across, Dixie had her hair helping her, and both Rosalina and Luma could float over. "We're not high enough to be out of danger just yet," Daisy added as the others reached her.

"I hope Diddy, DK, Candy, Funky, and Tiny are okay," Dixie worriedly said. "We're… we're the last of the Kongs left that we _know_ of. I mean Cranky might still be alive, the recluse he is, and maybe Wrinkly, but I don't _know_." She sighed, frustratedly drawing her hand, or paw, through her hair. "King K-Rool is probably fine too, unfortunately. He and his pirates would have hit the high seas the _moment_ this thing stated to spread."

"Birdo," Yoshi sadly squeaked. He hoped his friend was okay. He liked Birdo very much. She was one of his best friends… She and Toad… He wondered if Toad was okay. The rest of the Toad Brigade was all gone, only Toad, its Captain, had escaped unscathed, and now Yoshi had no idea where _Toad_ was _either_. "We have to find them, Toad and Birdo and the others," Yoshi declared firmly.

"I agree. There's safety in numbers," Ashley stated. "We probably would have voluntarily split up anyway, considering all the angles we need to reach to solve this mystery and survive, but still… I wish we'd split up on _our_ terms and not because of some stupid _accident_. Red would say that things like this happen. He would be right. There are too many of us for each one to escape unharmed, and the odds prove as much."

"If we ever go through something like this again I'll bet we'd all make it the _second_ time around," Daisy remarked. "After this we'd _better_ darn well be practiced up enough to make it."

SMB

All at once there was a vicious scream. All eyes turned up. Standing on a ledge was one of the infected! "Oh _crap_!" Parakarry exclaimed. "He's alerting the village just around the corner!"

"And you didn't tell us there was a village right there _why_?" Dixie demanded.

"I thought we could sneak _around_ it!" Parakarry replied.

"There's no time to argue. Prepare to defend ourselves," Rosalina warned. Luma, shivering, hid behind her whimpering.

All at once a large hoard of infected tore around the rocks and charged right at them! "Fight!" Daisy exclaimed. Immediately they all dropped into fighting stances and leapt into the battle.

Daisy struck out at anything and everything that came near to her with a metal bat and whatever else she could use that was at her disposal. Yoshi raced around eating the infected and sending them back out trapped inside of eggs. He kicked and flutter jumped, doing all that he could to keep them down. Dixie swung from above and attacked with her tail, her hair, and with a wooden club she'd fashioned on the way up the mountain. Parakarry darted around using anything he could. He flew up to a ledge, spotting a loose boulder, and shoved it, sending it falling over the edge. "Look out below!" he warned. His allies that had been in the way of the boulder dove to the sides and let the rock take down a large hoard of the infected. Funky leapt around striking at all those attacking the others and him. Ashley used magical attack after magical attack, scowling viciously. There was _no_ way in the _Underwhere_ that she was falling today. Rosalina, for her part, used her wand to fight back as best she could. Luma helped where he was able, which wasn't often as the baby really had little to offer in the way of aid.

All at once Yoshi and Funky, both racing towards the same hoard, ran into each other. "Whoa, careful green dino dude," Funky said, pulling Yoshi to his feet.

"Yoshi," Yoshi thanked. He made a series of grunts and sounds that roughly translated into, "Let's take these things down. We need to clear the path."

"Are you _serious_? Little chance of making it through ourselves? Falling as heroes? Never living to see another day until this is all fixed?" Funky asked, raising a dubious eyebrow.

"Yoshi," Yoshi confirmed.

"Awesome, man," Funky said, giving him a 'thumbs up' and grinning. Immediately the two raced towards the hoard.

"Yoshi, Funky, what are you _doing_?!" Daisy exclaimed in alarm on seeing her two friends going head on with the infected.

"We're clearing your way! As soon as you can, run!" Funky called back.

"No, we can make it through this together! We can't just sacrifice…!" Rosalina began, fear in her eyes.

"Too late!" Funky called back.

"Funky, don't!" Dixie screamed. Oh if Funky didn't make it, it would _kill_ Tiny.

"Dixie, tell your sister I totally would have dated her!" Funky called back. Dixie started at this and face-palmed. Oh well, close enough.

"Let them go, we can't do anything for them anymore," Parakarry solemnly said, sadness in his eyes.

"Great. The _last_ thing we needed was to lose allies," Ashley grumbled, watching helplessly.

SMB

Yoshi and Funky barrelled into the infected and began kicking and biting and scratching. Yoshi screamed in pain as an infected sunk its teeth into him. Funky gave a monkey shriek of pain as he was being clawed. "Yoshi!" Yoshi called to Funky.

"I got it!" Funky replied. Yoshi stuck out his tongue, eating Funky, and laid the egg. He picked it up and sent it rolling into the infected like a bowling alley. The way was clear.

"Yoshi!" Yoshi called. Go! Immediately the others ran.

"Yoshi, you didn't have to do this," Daisy said, pausing long enough to look at the reptile with tears in her eyes.

"Yoshi," he replied, sadly smiling and looking down as he felt the infection taking hold. He whined in pain and Daisy knew she couldn't stay any longer. Quickly she raced to catch up to the others.

SMB

Daisy, Rosalina, Luma, Ashley, Parakarry, and Dixie made their way to the top of the mountain. It had been a silent trip after their battle with the infected. "I can't believe they're really gone," Dixie said, voice cracking.

"They sacrificed themselves, for _us_," Daisy said, still hurt by what she'd seen.

"Let's be sure it wasn't in vain," Rosalina solemnly said, holding Luma close to her chest protectively.

"Yeah," Parakarry agreed quietly.

"Birdo and Tiny will be _devastated_," Dixie said.

"Men are a waste of time. _I_ certainly wouldn't let myself become flustered over any mere male," Ashley said.

"You're only fifteen, you wouldn't _understand_," Dixie argued. Ashley harrumphed and rolled her eyes. Not that the loss of Yoshi and Funky hadn't been a hard thing to swallow, it _had_ been, but there was nothing they could _do_ for those two anymore. "Does anyone know how to get to this 'Ludwig Von Koopa's' castle from here?" she wondered.

"_I_ do. I'll go up ahead into the clouds and wait for you guys there," Parakarry said.

"Be careful," Daisy warned, just in case the impossible had happened and the infection had gotten into the sky.

"If there's any sign of trouble I'll come back," Parakarry replied, nodding. Quickly he flew upwards.

"Ashley, _you_ know a little about magic. I'll teach you how to do this," Rosalina said. She pulled a book out and opened it to a page about Rainbow Road. She handed it over to Ashley, saying, "Follow these instructions to the letter, or the Rainbow won't hold us all."

Ashley took it, looking it over. "Oh wow," she said, sighing. It definitely wasn't _her_ kind of hocus pocus, but admittedly it could come in handy. She closed the book, rolled up her sleeves, and began the chant. In a moment Rainbow Road was summoned. Quickly the group raced onto it and up into the sky.

Parakarry, true to his word, was waiting for them. He smiled in relief on seeing the group. "Make sure to call back the Rainbow Road. We don't want the infected following us into Ludwig's cloud world," Parakarry warned. Ashley nodded and turned to the Rainbow Road, making it vanish. "See that creepy dark castle in the distance?" Parakarry asked.

"It's _my_ kind of _place_," Ashley remarked with a smirk.

"That's Ludwig's fortress," Parakarry said.

"Good taste. Early Dracula?" Ashley judged.

"With the German accent he puts on, the sharp fang, and the creepy organ music he sometimes plays, yeah, something like that," Daisy said, grinning. Dracula wasn't German, of course, but it was close enough.

"We should start moving," Rosalina remarked.

"Right, I don't want to be out here when it gets dark," Dixie worriedly said. The clouds vanished at night, most of the time, and she wasn't inclined to figure out how that worked when one was _on_ them at the time.

SMB

Bowser looked into the room where his children were all sleeping. Somehow they'd found their way into his bedroom and had taken over his bed one by one. He would have gladly stayed where he had been laying, surrounded by his sons and daughter, but to have them so close, to hear and see and feel their fear and their uncertainty… He wouldn't have been able to sleep if he'd _tried_. He probably wouldn't rest for the rest of the _night_, in fact. It had unnerved him, to say the least, when Roy and come in shivering and shaking. Of course he hid it well for the most part, you certainly couldn't see his body shaking, but when his third son had brushed against him he'd felt the shivering. He growled dangerously and shut the door carefully. It had taken skill to maneuver himself out of the middle of the Koopalings. He still marvelled at how the only two to awaken had been Larry and Wendy before they had immediately drifted off again.

He left the room, walking down the corridors of his eldest son's stronghold lost in thought. Granted he wasn't the most intelligent creature on the face of the planet, not by a _long_ shot, but he got by well enough. Of course _Ludwig_ didn't think so. Then again Ludwig saw everyone he _met_ as mentally inferior. That boy would get into trouble with that attitude one day. All at once there was a knocking at the castle door. Bowser froze, looking cautiously and guardedly over at it. Infected didn't knock, so who could it possibly _be_? He approached carefully and readied a fireball, opening the door. He gasped on seeing who was outside. "Parakarry!" he exclaimed. He looked passed the messenger and his eyes widened. "Princess Daisy, Queen Rosalina, Dixie Kong, err, little red girl!"

"My name is Ashley," Ashley shot, offended. Bowser glared coldly at her then turned back to Parakarry.

"What's happening?" Bowser asked.

"We came to find and confront you, your highness," Parakarry answered.

"We lost two good friends on our way up, Funky and Yoshi, so you'd _better_ have an explanation, Bowser!" Daisy shot.

"If they were lost because of you, you'll pay," Dixie growled, bearing her teeth.

"What are you _talking_ about?" Bowser asked.

"Don't play the fool, Bowser. Before this infection was even known to _exist_ you fled your Kingdom, abandoning it to ruin, and came here to the clouds away from anything that could harm you! You knew something. I hope for your sake that you're not behind this," Rosalina hissed.

"I hope for your sake you have a good reason for leaving your people to _die_!" Daisy shot. At least she would have tried to _help_ hers if any of them had seen this thing coming from as far back as Bowser had. As it was, it had happened almost overnight in Sarasaland. She'd had no time to think, to prepare, to _anything_.

"I have eight children to think about!" Bowser roared.

"_What_ exactly is your _point_?" Ashley demanded.

"You wouldn't understand, none of you! _You_ aren't _parents_!" Bowser defended. Parakarry, wisely, stayed quiet. Bowser approved. It was good when his future subjects were smart enough to fear him.

"You're wrong, Bowser. I assure you, _I_ understand," Rosalina said, softly and protectively petting Luma. If she had known that Polari had been infected, if she had known what he intended to do… He'd hoped the observatory could cure him. _She'd_ thought it _would_… Both of them had been wrong, and she had paid a painful, painful price.

Tears stung her eyes and she buried her face against Luma who whimpered, saying, "Mama?"

"It's alright, Luma," she assured.

SMB

Bowser's gaze softened ever so slightly, about as softly as could be expected of, well, _him_. "Come in," he ordered simply. When the clouds disappeared, Ludwig's Castle was generally the only thing left floating in the sky. A strategic miracle, might he add. No battle could be fought on the clouds for long. When the clouds disappeared, those still out on them fell to their deaths. Ludwig hardly even _needed_ an army, just a strong defense, a wall and a few traps outside that would keep the enemy away long enough for the clouds to fade. Granted there were a few solid and grassy areas, true enough, but that hardly impacted the strategic locale. "What's happening?" Bowser asked simply, because since he'd fled with his children he'd heard nothing from the world below. He hadn't _wanted_ to hear.

"We're not entirely sure," Daisy admitted. They explained to him all that had happened that they knew of up to that point, including the dividing of their group.

"Typical horror mistake," Bowser grumbled.

"It wouldn't be much of an adventure if everything went _smoothly_," Ashley remarked, shrugging. Bowser looked coldly at her. Wonderful. Ludwig's human female counterpart. Surly, pessimistic, know-it-all with the brains to justify and back it _up_.

"True as that may be, it still bothers me," Bowser said. "You all can rest the night here and tell me more in the morning, like which places are beyond the point of help. My children are all together in one room, mine, so you can have theirs. Ashley, take Ludwig's room, it's just your style. Rosalina and Luma, you can have Junior's or Larry's room; they have enough toys and things in their space for Luma to be entertainted. Parakarry, take Wendy's room. She's possessive of her things and will probably freak when she finds you there, but after the initial blow-up she'll probably just ignore you or chase you out. Her brothers will more likely beat you half to death. Dixie, you can have Iggy's, it'll remind you of home. Daisy, feel free to sleep in any of whatever rooms are left over."

"Thank you, King Bowser," Parakarry gratefully said. Immediately the group went to find the rooms.


	10. Casualty: 2

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Second up today, more losses, and again not a great action scene, but I did what I could to improve it.)

Casualty: 2

Meanwhile… Mario, Waluigi, Mona, Pauline, Tiny, Toadette, and DK walked through the forest searching for a sign of either Petey Piranha or King Boo. So far they'd had little luck. "At least we're out of the _city_," Waluigi wryly said.

"Right, there couldn't _possibly_ be as many infected out in the woods," Toadette optimistically, albeit uncertainly, said.

"Don't bet on it," Tiny pessimistically replied. After all, this infection was working on _animals_ as _well_. The last thing she wanted to run into was a pack of infected wolves or an infected tiger or something. Simians and predators did _not_ mix.

"Don't worry, guys, we'll find Petey and King Boo soon. Look," Mona said, finishing the last touches on her tracking device and thanking the star spirits that Wario had given her a crash course on McGoomvering useful gadgets out of whatnot. Her smile fell. She was afraid. What had happened to her boss? Was he even still _alive_? Shaking off the sadness she revealed the device to the others.

"Those are them?" Pauline asked, pointing out a Red dot spotted with white and a second dot, White.

"You bet," Mona replied. She zoomed out, revealing more of the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond. Here are the dots of the others," she said, pointing them all out. She gasped, paling, "Oh no, Yoshi and Funky aren't showing _up_ anymore!"

"What does that _mean_?" DK immediately demanded, worried for his friend.

"It-it means… it means they've been killed or infected," Mona hollowly answered, gravely looking at the others.

"Great, just what we _need_ now!" Mario exclaimed, holding his head in his hands and pacing. This was bad. This was very, very bad. He wished he knew how the military was holding up. He didn't have high hopes. The last military truck he'd seen had been driving right towards a large hoard of infected. They'd tried to stop the soldiers, but the toads either hadn't noticed or just ignored. He believed fully that they were all gone by now.

"On the bright side, it looks like Petey and King Boo are somewhere in these woods," Waluigi remarked, focusing on Petey and King Boo's dots once more. Those were the ones pertinent to their situation at this point in time. "We can't be too far away. Maybe a couple of hours walking."

"_You_ looking at the _bright_ side?" Mario incredulously asked his little cousin. Waluigi never looked at the bright side of _anything_.

"Don't-a challenge me, cuz," Waluigi warned.

"It's interesting to finally see how you and your cousins interact, Mario," Pauline dryly said. Not that she was surprised by the sorry lack of affection between the four, but _still_.

SMB

"Hold on, do you hear something?" Toadette asked, shushing the others quickly. They fell silent.

After a moment Mario replied, "All I hear is wind."

"No, there's something out there, she's right," Tiny tightly said, her animalistic senses kicking into overdrive.

DK began growling and grunting. He rose onto his back legs and pounded his chest, bearing his teeth and making himself intimidating. It was the instinct, of a male gorilla, to do something like this when threatened; try to scare off the intruder. "Back off!" DK roared. Tiny ooked and eeked, clambering up a tree fearfully.

"Don't leave me!" Toadette begged. Tiny reached down and took the Toad girl's hands, pulling her up into the branch. She couldn't very well _leave_ her there alone. Toadette was terrified. She'd held up, already, to a bunch of attacks, and fought back well, but this was taking its toll on her, _all_ of it. Toadette was quickly losing her nerve and adrenaline now.

"I don't like this, not at all," Mona said, backing uncertainly away from the now rustling bushes, eyes wide and afraid. Pauline swallowed, following suit.

"We should keep moving," Pauline said. All at once there was a series of barks from behind and she and Mona turned, gasping.

"Mario!" Waluigi exclaimed in terror, pointing ahead. From the bushes leapt a pack of at _least_ six wolves!

"Mama Mia!" Mario exclaimed.

Mona and Pauline screamed. "Pull us up, pull us up!" they shrieked at a terrified Tiny. Tiny gasped and immediately hung upside down, seizing their hands and pulling them up with great difficulty.

SMB

"Waluigi, up the tree!" Mario ordered Waluigi. Waluigi didn't need to be asked twice. He cried out in terror and raced for the tree Tiny and the others sat on. He leapt up, scrambling to climb, but slipped down, unable to get a good grip. "Jump!" Mario ordered. Waluigi did so and Mario cupped his hands, catching his cousin's foot and throwing Waluigi into the air. Waluigi grabbed the branch.

"Mario, grab my leg!" he ordered. Mario did so. Waluigi oomphed but began to try and struggle to lift himself and his cousin nonetheless. Mona, Tiny, Toadette, and Pauline immediately hurried to help him.

"DK, get up here!" Tiny screamed. DK began ooking and eeking, leaping up and down and roaring. The wolves charged at him and viciously he began punching them away. He needed to protect the _others_!

"DK, don't!" Toadette screamed. She grabbed out a bunch of heavy objects they'd brought and began throwing them down at the wolves, trying to get them away from Donkey Kong! Donkey Kong cried out in pain as a wolf sank its teeth into his arm. He ripped it off of him and threw it high and far. The others leapt on him as well, though, forcing him down.

"Run, guys, run!" DK ordered as the wolves tore into their prey.

"No!" Tiny screamed. She and the others began attacking from the branches, Mario using his fireballs and Waluigi using a tennis racket and some spiky balls Wario had made up when this infection had first started spreading. Knowing Waluigi's talent for sports, Wario had ensured he'd created gadgets his little brother would actually find _useful_. The wolves were hardly daunted by the attacks, but all at once they stopped.

SMB

"Oh no," Waluigi said.

"What?" Pauline fearfully asked.

"I think he's become one of _them_," Waluigi answered.

"But he can climb," Toadette realized in horror, eyes widening.

"Which-a means we'd-a better run," Mario said, expression fearful. This was bad. They immediately screamed and hurried to leap to the next tree. Toadette took up the rear. She leapt, grabbing the branch, but all at once it snapped!

"No!" Mona screamed, leaping back to try and catch the falling Toad girl. Toadette screamed in terror as she fell to the ground. She shrieked for help over and over as the wolves leapt on top of her. She continued screaming until suddenly everything stopped. Lowly she moaned and began rising.

"Wha? Oh _no_!" Waluigi exclaimed. Toadette screamed loudly, pointing up into the branches. DK leapt ahead roaring and snarling and foaming. He jumped onto the tree.

"Run!" Tiny shrieked. Or in this case jump and climb. Immediately the rest of them began to leap through the branches, avoiding the ground. As soon as they lost sight of the wolves, though, they leapt down to the forest floor and began racing towards the two flashing dots that were Petey Piranha and King Boo. They ran and ran until finally everything became quiet. They could no longer hear DK or Toadette following them. They heard nothing. Only then did they stop to try and catch their breath.

SMB

They looked around at where they were blankly. Mona pulled out her tracker and looked at it. "Guys, they should be just through these bushes," she said.

"Seriously? We've just lost Toadette and DK and you're focused on Petey Piranha and King _Boo_?" Tiny incredulously asked.

"Hey, we can't do anything for them anymore. What we _can_ do is try to figure this out and hopefully save King Boo and Petey Piranha," Pauline said. Tiny looked down. Pauline had a point, as hard as it was to admit.

"Let's get this over with," Waluigi grumbled.

"Careful, we don't know for sure if they'll be welcoming," Mario warned. Waluigi harrumphed, pushing through the bushes.

They were silent as they approached the large shape of a giant piranha plant standing out amongst all the others. "There's Petey," Waluigi remarked.

"Now where's…" Mona began.

"King Boo?" a voice asked from behind. They all cried out in alarm, spinning only to see the large Boo floating right behind them and laughing! They scrambled back in terror, mouths agape.

"King Boo!" Mario exclaimed.

"Hello, Mario. Where's Green Stache? I believe we have some unfinished business," King Boo said.

Mario cringed and looked down. "I don't know," he quietly admitted, worry filling him. Was Luigi okay? Was he still _alive_? Mario looked up at King Boo and said, "You and Petey are the ones we've been trying to find, though."

"Why?" Petey, who had been watching, asked in his regular roars and growls and snarls that, like Yoshi and Birdo, everyone somehow understood.

"You two were hit directly with that mushroom Bowser threw. What did it do?" Waluigi asked.

"Petey went feral and attacked me," King Boo answered.

"Then I recovered," Petey said. "King Boo wasn't affected at all."

"Do you have any idea what happened to you?" Pauline asked.

"I felt like devouring and killing," Petey answered. "There wasn't much more to it. That mushroom wasn't one of the course obstacles."

"No doubt Kammy, Kamek, or one of Bowser's children came up with the thing as a way to cheat, unaware of what it could do," King Boo said.

"I don't believe the mushroom was the cause of whatever's _happening_ out here," Petey said.

"The Mushroom could have been dipped in a potion or something," Tiny offered.

"If that's so then maybe the mushrooms have nothing to do with it and we're dealing with an unknown poison," Mona remarked.

"There's an aqueduct beneath the track we were on when it happened. If Bowser's people are behind this, they could have emptied the poison, considering the existence of one, into the water supply," Waluigi offered.

"But you-a dunked Luigi's head under and he was _fine_," Mario said.

"He never _drank_ it," Waluigi pointed out. "_None_ of us did."

"At least we know neither King Boo nor Petey can be affected. They must be immune," Tiny said.

"Immune or not, I can still be ripped up," Petey remarked. After all, he _was_ ultimately just a plant. "King Boo is the only one who is completely safe from this thing; unless he drank the water, of course, but Boos don't drink, do they?"

"We don't _have_ to. As to whether we do or not, it depends on the Boo," King Boo replied, shrugging his stumpy little arms.

"There's only one place we can go, then. Bowser's Castle," Mario said.

"But where would Bowser be holed _up_?" Tiny asked.

King Boo immediately conjured up an image. The others started on seeing a Castle high up in Sky Land! "Ludwig's palace," Mona said. "That's _genius_."

"Come on King Boo, Petey, we can't stay here anymore. I hear something coming, probably the infected wolves, DK, and Toadette," Pauline insisted.

"I don't want to leave," Petey stubbornly said. "I have to stay with my subjects, the other piranha plants."

For a moment it looked like they would refuse, but soon Waluigi replied, "I watched you grow from a _seed_. I know better than most what you're capable of. Let him stay. It's probably best. Just… watch your back, Petey."

"Yes 'dad,'" Petey teased, grinning an evil Piranha Plant grin.

"I must return to my subjects as well. If this world is dying there's really nothing for the boos to _do_ here anymore. They'll be getting… restless for a new home," King Boo said, eyes glittering mischievously.

"I suppose you and Petey are the ones safest in this whole mess," Mario said, though he was uncertain about this. He really didn't want to leave behind the only other two survivors they'd come across. King Boo smirked. Just then they heard moaning and gasped. King Boo turned invisible, Petey roared, and immediately all the piranha plats shrank into themselves, hiding in leaves, pipes, holes, and whatnot. It was silent with only the sounds of approaching infected now.

"Quick, let's get out of here before anyone else dies," Mona begged. Immediately the others nodded and began slinking off.

SMB

Bowser looked at the group who had just shown up in disbelief. "Mario!" he exclaimed in part rage and part surprise.

"It's a long story," Mario unenthusiastically said. He was no happier about being here than Bowser was _seeing_ him.

"Mario!" a voice exclaimed. Mario looked passed Bowser.

"Daisy!" Mario said in disbelief and relief. At least _someone_ else had made it. Waluigi quickly looked passed Bowser and spotted her.

"Who _else_ is here?" Mario hopefully asked.

"Ashley, Parakarry, Dixie, Rosalina, and Luma," she replied.

"Rosalina," Waluigi said, body relaxing ever so slightly.

"Let us in and we'll tell you everything," Mona insisted.

"Who _are_ you?" Bowser roughly asked the woman dressed in a red dress.

"Pauline, Mario's _first_ love," Pauline replied.

"First love?" Bowser asked.

"Long lived it was not," Tiny remarked, rolling her eyes. She'd learned enough about it to realize _that_ much at least. Bowser didn't even bother pressing for details. He simply let them enter.


	11. A Relative Matter

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Third up today. Introducing two retro Mario characters that probably most have forgotten about. As for who they are, well, you'll see. I do quite the twist here with relationships between these characters too, so prepare for a bit of a shocker.)

A Relative Matter

The bus containing Wario, Luigi, Diddy, Candy, Peach, Birdo, and Toad rolled through Diamond City. The group watched guardedly around for any signs of attack. "If we see an army vehicle, we get off the road," Wario warned Diddy, clapping a hand on the monkey's shoulder. Diddy nodded in understanding. It didn't look like they would have to worry about the military, though. He marvelled at how they hadn't seen any _infected_ yet.

As if voicing Diddy's concern, Candy asked, "Where are all the undead?"

"I don't like this," Birdo said in her language, looking around.

Diddy parked the bus on top of a hill. "I'll go up to the roof and look around," Toad volunteered.

"Be careful," Luigi concernedly warned.

"I'll be fine," Toad assured, brushing off the concern. Swiftly he scrambled up onto the bus's roof and scanned around. He started, eyes widening. Down the hill, by a construction site, there was a wall of zombies! "Oh no, someone must still be _alive_ down there," Toad worriedly remarked out loud to himself. Swiftly he scrambled back inside. "Guys, guys, there's a construction site a ways down the hill. There are hoards of _infected_ there! Someone might still be alive!"

"We can't-a risk saving them," Wario stated.

"We can't leave them to _die_," Luigi argued. "Wario, we need all the help we can _get_."

"Fine; we'll drive by, but that's _all_," Wario stated. Luigi nodded in agreement. Diddy started the bus.

SMB

They neared the site and Luigi squinted. That logo was familiar… His eyes widened. "Wario, it's Forman Spike's _construction_ site!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Forman Spike? _Uncler_ Spike?" Wario asked, eyes widening in shock.

"That's-a right!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Hit the brakes!" Wario ordered Diddy. Diddy did so immediately and the group peered out of the windows of the bus.

Wario pursed his lips tightly. Foreman Spike's relationship with him, Waluigi, Mario, and Luigi was a complex one. The man despised Luigi and Mario yet at the same time it was more complicated than that. See, as non-existent as it seemed Spike _did_ care for the two and they cared or him, if only a tiny bit; blood and water and all that, and that was about the extent of it. As for he and Waluigi… The simple answer was that Spike was his and Waluigi's favorite _Uncle_. The longer one was that Waluigi and Spike didn't get on, _at_ all. They _always_ butted heads despite their similarities, and in fact sometimes their confrontations would get _violent_. More often than not Waluigi had a score to settle with the man, yet at the same time Wario was pretty sure Waluigi was Spike's _favorite_ nephew. Perhaps Spike liked Waluigi because Waluigi didn't run in fear of him. Waluigi stood up to the man and kept up with his verbal attacks. Spike liked that particular brand of toughness, independence, and defiance.

As Waluigi had grown, Spike had taken him under his wing as an apprentice—Spike's _own_ son hadn't been too keen on the business, after all—and in fact Spike had once gifted Waluigi with a _Backhoe_, err Excavator, uh whatever that machine was called. Wario had never been into construction. The thing with the scoop that picked up dirt was what _he_ called it. Waluigi had laughed when he'd said it and hadn't _stopped_ laughing _since_. Yes, Waluigi was definitely Spike's favorite nephew. About time; Waweegee was _no_ one's favorite, so to be Spike's meant a lot to his brother. Walu as much appreciated and loved Spike as _hated_ him. As for Wario, well, his relationship with his Uncle was more on neutral terms though, as previously established, Spike was his favorite Uncle. In fact Wario had gotten a good chunk of his _looks_ from the man. In fact, he looked the most similar to Spike out of _all_ of them. Heck, he looked more like Spike than Spike's own _son_. Family resemblance and all that there stuff.

"What are we gonna do, Wario?" Luigi asked.

"Didn't think you'd-a be too keen to help him," Wario replied.

"He's still my Uncle," Luigi grumbled.

"Wait, wait, wait; this Foreman Spike guy is your _Uncle_?" Diddy asked Wario and Luigi, obviously taken aback.

"Yep," Wario answered.

"Oh yeah," Luigi said, wincing at memories of heavy objects being dropped on his and Mario's heads along with taunting laughter. He was pretty sure Spike had been trying to toughen him up. Of all of them, Spike had always seen Luigi as the weakest, the pathetic one, the one who needed to man up. The man had been _particularly_ rough with Weegee. Star Spirits, they hadn't seen their uncle in, oh, _years_. Part of him couldn't wait, another part dreaded it. He would still be the disappointment, Luigi knew. He hadn't changed much over the years. Spike hadn't liked how weak he was, Spike hadn't liked it whenever Luigi started to embellish the truth and get boastful, Spike hadn't liked it when Luigi whined, heck, Spike hadn't liked it when Luigi did _anything_. Spike thought everything he did had been a slight on the man's intelligence. Not that Spike _had_ much. Ooh, that sounded cold. Maybe the Foreman had _had_ something there in suspecting as much. Oh well, they had no time to think on it.

"Who's-a comin' _with_ me?" Wario asked.

"I will," Luigi volunteered immediately. Polterpup barked in agreement.

"So will I!" Toad chimed.

"Why not?" Birdo said, shrugging. She might as well.

"Diddy and I will watch over the bus," Candy said. Diddy ooked in agreement.

"Then _let's_-a go," Wario said.

SMB

Armed and ready, the four plus Polterpup entered the construction site shooting their way through the infected that hadn't been distracted by the explosion Wario had set off a ways away. "We'd-a better start climbing," Luigi dryly said, looking up. It was _Mario_ who dealt with climbing up construction sites, not _him_.

"Birdo!" Birdo sang out. She knelt, gesturing for Toad and Luigi to get on her back. They exchanged looks and jumped onto her. She leapt high and flutter jumped to the first level. The two crawled off. Birdo looked distastefully down at Wario and snorted in derision. Nonetheless she leapt back down. She squealed in pain as Wario's bulk weighed down on her. Panting and sweating she put her all into the jump up to the next level. Wario got off of her grumbling about her being a whiner because he wasn't that heavy. Easy for _him_ to say, Birdo dryly thought, eyes narrowed coldly as she cracked her back painfully. Polterpup barked and floated up, panting and wagging his tail.

"One down about sixty to go," Toad groaned, looking upwards.

"Plus infected," Wario dryly said, pointing. Sure enough a group of infected were running and staggering down the scaffoldings and sets of temporary stairs. Immediately the four raced forward to take on the swarms.

SMB

Around floor fifty they were all gasping and panting for breath. "This-this is _ridiculous_," Luigi panted. "We can't keep _going_ at this rate!"

"And another _swarm_ is coming!" Birdo squealed in fear.

"Oh no!" Toad exclaimed. Polterpup began barking protectively.

"Wario…" Luigi fearfully said, gripping a shovel tightly.

"This is bad," Wario said, holding onto his crowbar.

Just as the small swarm started down some stairs there was a loud grumble and groan. The four looked up quickly. Rolling down the steps was a large group of _barrels_! They were pouring like a waterfall! The infected were knocked off of the structure and the group was left gaping in shock. "Wario, Luigi?!" a shocked voice exclaimed from above. The two sharply looked up.

"_Wah_? _Stanley_!" Wario and Luigi exclaimed together.

SMB

The next thing they knew the whole group—Candy, Diddy, and Wario's Hen included—were inside a fortified room high up on the construction compound. "Cousin Stanley, it's been _years_ since we-a last saw you!" Luigi excitedly said, grinning ear to ear as they sat eating together along with Foreman Spike and Stanley the Bugman.

"I know! Dad and I were _wondering_ if you were still alive, _weren't_ we dad?" Stanley said, looking to his father, Foreman Spike.

"Where are Mario and Waluigi?" Spike gruffly asked, ruffling his grown son's hair.

Wario and Luigi were silent. Finally Wario replied, "We don't know."

"They're alive, Uncle Spike, I _know_ they are!" Luigi insisted, adamantly refusing to believe it was possible they were gone.

Spike glared coldly at Luigi. Finally he replied, "For once I'm _glad_ for your naivety."

"Cousin Stanley, Uncle Spike, it's been forever since we last saw you. What's-a been happening in your lives?" Luigi questioned, eager to hear what had been going on.

"Nothing really. I've been working on my greenhouse, keeping it safe from Candy's boyfriend Donkey Kong and from bugs and unsavories. I've gotten really good with my bug spray. Chemical sprays like that come in handy against the zombies, I've even made my own potent cocktails. Dad's been busy with his construction company, like always. _Spike's Construction_ is becoming a huge _name_ here in Diamond City… Was, that is, before… before all this," Stanley answered. Sadness came to his eyes. Spike harrumphed and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Though the Foreman tried to make it seem indifferent and impersonal, a _blind_ man could have sensed the love and concern in that gesture from the father to his son. Stanley smiled up at him. "It's been a while since dad and I have had so much bonding time. I went my own way, like grown children do, and we've usually just exchanged calls and letters. When _this_ happened… Well, dad found _me_. I'm glad for it."

SMB

It was a few hours later. The sky was dark and all was quiet as Luigi stood watch on the construct along with Polterpup. "So, what happened between you and your family that you haven't seen your only other cousin and your Uncle for years?" Candy wondered, approaching Luigi from behind. The plumber had looked lost in his thoughts. She had hoped to draw him out. It wasn't good when Luigi bottled things up. It never ended well, or so she'd heard.

Luigi stiffened and looked at her almost fearfully. After a long time he replied, "It's… a long story." Really it wasn't that long. It just _seemed_ that way because… because it was somewhat difficult to talk about. His Uncle had never really liked him and Mario much. They were his least favorite. Foreman Spike was on neutral to good terms with Wario and, though his relationship with Waluigi was a roller coaster ride at best, ultimately he _liked_ Waweegee. As for Stanley's relationship to them… well, Stanley was a bit older than him. He couldn't remember by how much. It had been a long _time_ since they'd last seen each other. Anyway, Stanley got along pretty well with him and Mario, more so Mario. The two had been close when they were all little; to the point Luigi had felt _rivalled_ for a time, in fact. Now Luigi's and Stanley's relationship, while good, was as much a rivalry as it was anything _else_. They were really tight, him and Stanley, but often he felt annoyed with his cousin. Stanley was something of a bragger and could get quite proud at times, traits he shared with Wario and Mario. Stanley's relationship with Wario and Waluigi was… different. Stanley, like Mario, had been a favorite victim of Wario's. Stanley was terrified of the yellow-clad gold digger, yet at the same time… Well, family and all that. Waluigi and Stanley… It was bitter, to say the least. Waluigi loved taunting and belittling Stanley. Waluigi was bitter to _everyone_, though. Stanley, however, hadn't taken it like Luigi had, _another_ thing the Bugman had in common with Mario… Unfortunately this time it backfired.

Waluigi had been the first to be estranged. No matter how much Spike loved Walu, he loved Stanley more. He'd taken Stanley's words too much to heart. Stanley had been very badly hurt by Waluigi, you see, when they were all young, and he had gone to his father in tears and told him. In a fit of misery and hurt, like most young children did, he had screamed about how badly he hated Waluigi. Spike had taken it too far and, to the Foreman's regret, had cast out Waluigi then and there. Wario had taken offense and had gone with Waluigi, leaving the family behind. Wario's _brother_ was his only family at that point… It wasn't until _years_ later that Foreman Spike had cast out him and Mario after their relationship had turned especially sour; sometime prior to Spike's joining up with Bowser, he believed. Actually, at that point it had been _Mario_ throwing away _Spike_. It had hurt Mario deeply to do so, and he believed to this day that it had hurt Spike as well, but none of them could ever drop their stubborn prides enough to make amends. The only two that _didn't_ have such a stubborn streak in them were Stanley and Luigi. Luigi had been too much of a coward. Stanley had just never accepted or grasped the seriousness of all that had happened. He'd been in denial and refused to believe it. As far as he was concerned, or cared, they had just gone their separate ways. Nothing more. Stanley had felt exceedingly guilty about Waluigi and everything that had happened surrounding that event. He'd wanted to make up ever since but had never seen Waluigi or Wario _again_ after they left. Same with Mario and Luigi with a rare exception when the just hung out with one another here and there.

"Let's a not talk about it, Candy," Luigi pled.

"Okay, but you know we're here for you," she replied concernedly. Luigi smiled gratefully at her.

SMB

Toad, sleeping, began to toss in bed, face creasing into a frown. He'd been having a dream and suddenly there were scratching and knocking noises in his dream. Wait… _was_ that part of his dream? His eyes flickered open confusedly. He heard a growl and stiffened, catching his breath. Immediately he leaped out of bed and screamed, "Guys, the infected are here!" Immediately everyone woke up. Just then the window was broken open and Toad was seized! He screamed in pain and fear as one of the infected bit deeply into his shoulder. Almost immediately, though, Toad began to turn.

The others began screaming and shouting orders to one another. It was chaos! They broke out of the shelter and onto the construction site. "To the elevator!" Spike shouted loudly, pointing. They all raced for it. All at once, though, Candy was pounced on! She screamed in terror and fear as the infected began to bite into her!

"Candy!" Diddy cried, trying to run back.

Birdo seized him, though, saying, "No!" It was too late for Candy now. She dragged the monkey to the elevator. The doors shut to Candy's screaming for help, and it began its quick descent.

"This is bad, this is bad, this is bad," Luigi said over and over, pale from fear.

"Man up, boy! You're acting pathetic!" Spike shouted angrily. He had a child to protect, and now two of his four nephews. They happened to be the last family he had left aside from Wario and Waluigi's mother—well not anymore he supposed—and gosh darn it, he didn't intend to lose them all to something this _unbelievable_. It would be a stain on his family's _name_.

SMB

All of a sudden the elevator stopped and went dark. They all stiffened. "This can't be good," Diddy remarked.

"I'll deal with it," Spike said. Before he could move, though, there was a sickening grinding sound!

"Dad, it's gonna _fall_!" Stanley exclaimed in alarm and fear. Spike cursed under his breath. The Elevator lurched and tumbled down the line, everyone inside screaming.

"I've got this!" Birdo insisted. She kicked open the top and leapt onto the roof, instantly beginning to flutter jump in an attempt to slow it. They hit the bottom hard, but at least the impact wasn't fatal. Birdo, exhausted, tumbled off of the roof panting for air as the others raced out.

"Birdo, come on!" Diddy exclaimed, seizing her arm and pulling her to her feet.

"I-I can't. I-I'm too tired," she replied, though she attempted to follow.

"And she's hurt!" Stanley exclaimed on spotting blood.

"Oh no, Birdo!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Go on!" Birdo insisted.

"I'm not _leaving_ you!" Diddy insisted to his friend.

"Neither am I!" Luigi stated.

"Or I," Peach backed.

"You're _all_ gonna die, then!" Spike shouted. "Anyone who wants to live, follow _me_!" Wario immediately bolted with his hen. Stanley, though, hesitated, looking uncertainly back at Luigi.

Luigi smiled at him in forced bravery. "Go on, cuz, I'm good," Luigi assured.

"I don't believe you," Stanley replied, frowning.

"Son! Stanley!" Spike called out. Stanley looked hesitantly after his father and shifted uncomfortably. For a moment Luigi almost thought he would stay. He didn't. Stanley's blood ties to Spike were stronger than to Luigi, as was to be expected of father and son. Instantly Stanley chased after his father and Wario. Luigi had to admit he was relieved. Now he didn't have a _relative_ to protect. The next moment Birdo, Diddy, Luigi, and Peach were swarmed!

SMB

"We can't _leave_ them!" Stanley insisted on hearing Diddy's sickening scream of agony. It was closely followed by Birdo's cry of pain. "They're dropping like flies! I should _know_, I'm a _Bugman_."

"Forget them. They aren't-a worth our breath," Wario replied.

"He's our _cousin_, Wario!" Stanley insisted. "Dad, he's your _nephew_!"

Spike said nothing, but his mouth twitched uncomfortably. "Help!" Diddy screamed just then.

"_Forget_ this. I'm going _back_!" Stanley stated, turning and racing back.

"Stanley!" Spike called.

"If you go back, Unc, I'm-a leaving without you," Wario warned.

"He's my son," Spike gruffly stated. Quickly he followed his boy. Wario scoffed and continued to race towards the bus, carrying his Hen and dragging along an extremely reluctant Polterpup, who was desperately trying to reach his master.

SMB

"Diddy, look out!" Peach screamed as she spotted a now infected Birdo staggering towards him. Diddy shrieked in terror and kicked her back. He immediately turned to another attacking swarm.

"I'm not going to make it!" Diddy exclaimed in dismay. He was being cut off from Peach and Luigi!

"Diddy, hang _on_!" Luigi insisted, trying to reach his friend though terror gripped his heart viciously. Just then Diddy cried out in pain as Toad's teeth sank into him. "Oh no!" Luigi exclaimed, trying to go to him.

"Luigi, it's too late!" Peach insisted, holding him back.

Luigi turned to the monkey, who was being bitten into mercilessly now. He knew it was true, but to know they had lost so many in such short order… it hurt, badly. _Mario_ would never have let this happen, right? Wait, he had to get Peach to safety! "Peach, I'm-a gonna clear a path for you. Run!" He let loose, then, with something she hadn't seen in a long time. He turned the area around them into a Negative Zone!

"I can't leave…" Peach began.

"I'll-a be right behind you!" Luigi lied as he continued to dance to the Arabic style music playing in the background. She knew it was a lie, but she also knew she had no choice. She turned and fled, hoping against hope that he was following. She burst out of the hordes and raced towards Stanley and Spike.

"Where's Wario?" she asked.

"He left us behind," Stanley said, hardly able to believe that even _Wario_ could have committed such an act of treachery.

"What are we going to do?" Peach asked.

"Get Luigi and get out," Spike answered. "Stay here, your highness." Quickly Spike and Stanley ran towards the hoard.

Luigi felt his power leaving him. The negative zone was closing in and soon the infected would come back to themselves and attack him without mercy. "Mario, I'm sorry," he muttered under his breath.

"Luigi!" he heard Stanley call.

"Hold on, weakling!" Spike shouted.

Luigi closed his eyes tightly. He-he _couldn't_! With a gasp he ran out of energy and the zombies lunged for him. All at once Stanley and Spike were there, holding off the hoard, though they were quickly falling back. "We're gonna die, aren't we dad?" Stanley asked, voice tight as he sprayed his chemicals at the infected.

"We are," Spike confirmed. He'd always been blunt like that. Sometimes it had been a blessing to Stanley. Sometimes it had been a _curse_. Luigi leapt to his feet, drawing strength from his estranged family members. He had to fight for _them_! It wasn't just _him_ now. He couldn't just give _up_ this time.

SMB

"Oh no!" Peach exclaimed in alarm. They were going to fall! She began to run towards the hoard in a last desperate attempt to help. All at once there was a loud horn. She gasped, turning. Wario was driving the bus towards them! Peach screamed as the weapon on wheels—thanks to Wario's modifications—tore passed her. She felt her dress being grabbed and felt herself being pulled inside. She looked up quickly and saw that it had been a worried Polterpup who had dragged her into the bus.

"Hang on, Peachy," Wario warned. Peach scrambled to a seat and clutched Wario's Hen and Polterpup close, her skin pale and her eyes wide in worry and fear.

Stanley, Spike, and Luigi screamed in terror as the infected went for the last lunge. Just then, though, the bus plowed into them all, decimating the attacking infected and pulling to a stop next to them. They didn't wait to question it, they just leapt inside.

"Wario!" Stanley exclaimed in shock. "You came _back_!"

"Of _course_ I did. _Wario's_ no _fool_. I-a need all the help I can get to protect my treasure," Wario growled.

"You love us, cuz," Luigi sang teasingly, poking him.

"Touch me again I'll-a break your arm," Wario threatened. Luigi paled and quickly drew back. He cleared his throat and awkwardly went to sit next to Stanley.

"That's my boy!" Spike praised, seizing Wario in a choke hold and giving him a noogie.

"Uncle!" Wario exclaimed, almost crashing before righting the bus. Spike chuckled, put Wario's hat back on Wario's head, then went and sat next to Peach.

"We lost them _all_?" Peach asked, voice tight and afraid.

"I couldn't save them," Luigi dismally said.

"And _we_ couldn't _reach_ them in time," Stanley added sadly, looking guiltily down.

"We could have made it if you'd just _waited_, Wario," Luigi bit.

"You think _I_ cared about them?" Wario asked. "They were _your_ friends, _not_ mine."

"They were as much yours and ours, Wario," Peach replied. Wario scoffed. He didn't _need_ no stinkin' friends. He had Waluigi and his Hen; that was _all_ he needed… Maybe Mona too, but only _sometimes_… when she wasn't being _annoying_.


	12. Rescue Mission

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Seeing as this chapter's so long, it might be the only one up today. Who knows, I might try to add another just because I've been on a roll with this one. There are a couple of relationship hints here and there, but they can also be rivalry or friendship. There will be a few more losses here. I'm also getting into the Koopalings more, going with the wiki description of Wendy and playing with her lesser known nature of a tomboy, as well as in future going into a little more detail with Lemmy's more evil and menacing side.)

Rescue Mission

The Koopalings looked agitatedly at all the new visitors. It had been a messy affair when Bowser's offspring had found their enemies and even some strangers in their beds. It had taken Bowser, Kammy, and Kamek everything they _had_ to keep the confrontation from turning into a bloodbath. "You could have told us earlier, dad," Larry complained, frowning at the Luma who he'd found playing with his toys and messing up his collections of bugs, rocks, coins, jewels, lock picks, and etc.

"You were all asleep," Bowser lamely defended.

"Vunderbar. Ve have survivors in my palace zat will spell ze end of our _lives_," Ludwig bitterly bit, glaring coldly at the girl, Ashley, whom he'd found in his bed. She huffily stuck out her tongue at him. Needless to say, when he had confronted her they had been the pair to get the closest to slaughtering each other. Magic was flying every which way and attacks were being delivered left and right. Honestly she'd been surprised, and infuriated, that he could keep _up_ to her.

"For such a refined Koopaling, you're certainly no _gentleman_," she bit proudly.

"Tell me, vhat iz it you vould have done had you found me in _your_ bed?" he demanded.

"You wouldn't have lived long enough to wake _up_," she replied. "But then I don't profess to be a _gentlelady_."

Ludwig snorted in derision. "_Zat_ is plain to see," he bit. She scowled and whipped out her wand. He growled and prepared his staff.

"Enough!" Daisy shouted. The two paused, looking over at her, then harrumphed and sulkily folded their arms.

"Ugh, I'm like, totally seeing double," Wendy stated, rolling her eyes.

"A _disturbing_ double. Ooh, ooh, I wanna experiment on them, King Dad! Imagine if I could splice their genes together and create the ultimate Koopa-human hybrid! Ludwig Von Ashley, or LudAshley maybe, would be _unstoppable_! We could conquer the known world," Iggy enthusiastically exclaimed, an insane glint shining in his eyes as he thought of all the possibilities.

"Iggy, no experimenting on your siblings. We've _had_ this talk before. Remember when, before Junior was born, you completely confuddled the gene pool, turned your hair rainbow, aged _yourself_ and Lemmy backwards to twins and the youngest in the family, made Ludwig younger than Roy, and basically demolished the true timeline until Ludwig was able to find a solution. If I recall correctly, your brain _also_ shrunk; you couldn't even _invent_. You don't want _that_, do you?"

Iggy paled and gasped at the thought of being unable to invent anymore. "_No_ Dad, _never_!" he exclaimed, immediately tossing the idea of a super powered Ludwig and Ashley hybrid to the side… Well, at least for now. Who knew, maybe in time he'd figure out a way to do it. He darkly chuckled to himself. Bowser was glaring at him, along with the others, and he realized he'd been cackling out loud again. Darn. He really had to pay attention to that. He grinned innocently and tucked his hands behind his back.

"Hey, where's-a Wario? Did that idiot stick ever show up?" Waluigi questioned, looking around the castle.

"No, they _didn't_," Mona realized, immediately worried now.

"Ludwig, Ashley, get on that," Bowser ordered. "The rest of you find something to occupy yourselves with in the meantime."

SMB

"Do you, like, have any idea how _creepy_ it was finding you in my bed?" Wendy asked Parakarry as she filed her nails.

"Sorry Wendy," he said, glancing uncertainly down. Was she going to roast him? He _hoped_ not. He didn't crisp well. Actually, come to think of it he wasn't sure if any of the Koopalings besides _Ludwig_ could breathe fire. He was pretty sure Bowser Junior could, probably it had been Ludwig to teach him _how_, seeing as _Bowser_ was always so busy, but he wouldn't be making bets on it.

"Next time I see you near my room, you won't be so lucky," Wendy said.

"Aren't you afraid you'll break a nail," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" she questioned icily.

"Nothing, your highness!" he immediately exclaimed. She scoffed at him.

"For your information I may be a girly girl on the outside, but make no mistake, I totally don't mind getting dirt under my fingernails. A broken nail is hardly worth a _huff_ to me. I used to be _quite_ a tomboy in fact," she defended haughtily.

"Really?" he asked, obviously surprised at this.

"Duh," she replied. "I dance and prance around in high-heels and fire magical rings, but I can kick some serious tail if I want to, and look stylish _doing_ it."

"Mario and Luigi always beat you," Parakarry pointed out.

"Like _I_ care," Wendy replied. "Tell me when something _real's_ going down. Half the time daddykins and the Mario Bros end up working together _anyway_ these days.

"So… care to prove your tomboyishness?" Parakarry questioned, looking longingly over at a certain game lying on the ground in front of a console. By all standards it was geared more towards boys than girls, so he was curious how much of it she could _take_.

She glanced over at it. "Are you, like, _serious_? I've totally beaten even _Larry_ at that game, and he's considered the best video gamer _in_ our family," she remarked. She thought a moment then smirked wickedly. "Of course my brothers have never seen me get my _actual_ game on. Junior did, once, but I swore him to secrecy on the penalty of a painful torture and death. We play together all the time when the others aren't around…" Her smile fell into a frown.

"I thought you _hated_ Junior," Parakarry said.

"_Everyone_ seems to think that," Wendy replied with a heavy sigh. "Believe it or not, Junior's, like, my second favorite brother after Iggy."

"You and _Iggy_ are tight?" Parakarry asked.

"Totally," Wendy replied with a fond smirk. "On April Fool's day we, like, totally once teamed up against all the others. They didn't stand a _chance_. Well, _Larry_ almost beat us, but that was only when he managed to separate us and later, when we reunited, got _Lemmy's_ help. Iggy's like my BBBF."

"BBBF?" Parakarry asked.

"Big Brother Best Friend," Wendy explained, slipping off of her chair after checking her nails once more and going to the console. Quickly she set it up and tossed him a remote. "Keep up with me, I _dare_ you."

"You're on," Parakarry remarked, smirking wickedly. He wasn't bad at video games _either_, but _she_ didn't have to know that. At least not until it was too late. He laughed evilly to himself, which was surprising seeing he wasn't an evil Koopa by nature. She raised an eyebrow at it but ignored.

SMB

"You're doing it wrong!" Ashley insisted, trying to pry an ingredient for the cauldron away from him.

"I know vhat I'm doing! Leave me _be_, voman!" Ludwig snapped sharply.

"That ingredient won't get us a _picture_!" she shot, still furious to have found him trying to tamper with her brew.

"The ingredient you're trying to put in vill blow my palace sky high!" Ludwig shot.

"We're _in_ the sky!" she barked.

"You don't think I _know_ that?!" he almost screamed, losing his temper. "Show ze Koopa Prince some respect or I vill see you _burn_, witch!"

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

"At ze stake!" he shouted, referencing one of the medieval methods of execution for those considered to be witches.

"Fine, put it in, I dare you!" she shouted. He harrumped and pulled the ingredient away. He tossed it into the Cauldron and it began to hiss and spit.

"Quvickly, pass me ze Essence of Boo!" Ludwig shot.

"Wait, what?" she asked, starting and looking at him with eyes wide. She'd known he would need that ingredient to stabilize the potion, but how had _he_ known he'd need it?

"Ashley!" he exclaimed. There was a large boom, blowing off the roof of the tower they were in. The two stood with eyes wide as they both blinked. They were black. Shaking out of it, Ludwig screamed, losing the German accent, "What was _that_?!"

"How did you know about the Essence of _Boo_?!" she demanded.

"I told you I knew what I was doing!" he yelled.

"_I'm_ the trained witch, _not_ you!" she barked.

"I'm the genius who figured it out through reading and my disappeared mother's _lessons_!" Ludwig yelled back. "For the love of ze Star Spirits, vhy von't you trust me to _help_ you? Do you think me an _imbecile_?!"

"No, that's what _you_ think of _me_!" she shouted. He started, eyes widening. He did? He thought about it a minute and grimaced. He _did_. "I don't need to prove myself to you! I don't need to prove myself to _anyone_! I'm as good as you are, _better_ in the fields of Magic, in fact!"

"I know," he quietly remarked, swallowing his stubborn pride and relenting, though the words almost stuck in his throat.

"And furthermore…" she began before stopping abruptly. "Wait, what?" she asked.

"I know. You are right. I have been looking down my nose at you," he admitted. "I… have not had a challenge in _years_. Well, not a mentally stable one," he hastened to add, thinking of Iggy. Iggy was saner than he pretended, though… at least Ludwig _hoped_ he was. He frowned. He honestly wasn't sure anymore. As the years went by, Iggy seemed to get more and more insane. All that aside, though, the fourth eldest Koopaling was perhaps more intelligent than even _him_. The more he thought of it the more likely it seemed… He had been witnessing it increasingly often since Iggy had become a teenager. No longer did his little brother copy or improvise on _his_ experiments. Now Iggy was branching off with a whole new _style_; his _own_… And perhaps that style was getting to be better than even _Ludwig's_. He loved his brother, yes, but if anything he was becoming even more jealous of _Iggy_ than he had _ever_ been of Junior.

"So the minute someone challenges your mind, you fly off the handle," she said.

"Nein, I… am unsure how to react," Ludwig admitted. "Sometimes zat entails flying off ze handle. Sometimes it entails composing symphonies and experimenting."

"You mentioned you were a song writer. I've always like classical organ music, preferably eerie. I'd like to hear a piece sometime," she remarked.

"You _vould_?" he asked, obviously surprised. Honestly the only ones who had shown any interest in music besides _him_ in his family were Junior and, surprisingly enough, Roy. Of course for Roy it was hard-rock and screamer/death-metal drums. Ludwig grimaced at the thought. Junior at least had _some_ degree of taste. It was funny, but oddly enough Ludwig's mind, these last few weeks, had been drowned with thoughts of his siblings and his father; more-so than they had for what seemed like just too long…

"Ludwig?" Ashley asked curiously, snapping him back to himself.

He blinked blankly, coming back to reality, and looked at her. "I vould be honored to play vun of my masterpieces for you." Preferably not the ones he'd composed while he was partially _deaf_ for that little while. Of course he'd gone back and fixed most of those, but still. The horror and humiliation on finding such pieces had come from _him_… Ugh, at least they were _better_ now, rather _most_ of them were. Some hadn't been half bad, but others were atrocious and had needed a whole new revamp.

Ashley watched him amusedly. She found it quite interesting how one minute his mind would be one place and the next it would be in another. Product of a genius and beautiful mind, she supposed, and as much as she hated to admit it he _did_ have a beautiful mind. She turned back to the brew and caught her breath. "Ludwig, we're getting an image!" Ludwig quickly came up beside her and looked down.

He grinned widely. "Excellent! Ashley, ve _did_ it!" he exclaimed, impulsively seizing her around the waist and spinning her in the air. She couldn't help but laugh at the sudden uplift. She giggled as he put her down. That was… fun… Fun was a word she hadn't bothered with for a long time, she wryly reminded herself. Fun was for the weak, those who had time on their hands, not busy witches in training like _her_. "Ve must gather ze ozhers quickly," Ludwig continued, seemingly unaware of what he'd just done; she smirked at him.

SMB

"Ugh, why won't you _die_?" Wendy demanded. Neither of them had gotten the jump on the other _yet_ in this game. Every time they did the other caught up.

"Why won't _you_?" Parakarry demanded, eyes wide. When she'd said she was good he'd had no _idea_. He couldn't keep up with her for much longer.

"You're better than I gave you credit for, but you're not good _enough_," she replied.

Just as she was about to pull off a move that would finally _defeat_ her current rival, Bowser's voice echoed through the corridors. "Get to the Throne Room, _all_ of you!" he bellowed. Immediately Wendy and Parakarry shut off the game and leapt up, racing to obey Bowser's command.

SMB

They gaped in shock at the scene, Wario's team fighting off the hordes with all that they _had_. "Mario, is that…" Waluigi began, mouth agape.

"It _is_! It's-a Uncle Spike and Cousin Stanley!" Mario exclaimed, eyes wide. He hadn't seen _them_ for _years_.

"Where did Luigi dig _them_ up?" Waluigi asked in annoyance. He hated his family, all of them up to and including Wario. At least that was what Waluigi was _telling_ himself, and he would stick with it thank you very much. He knew for _certain_ he hated _Luigi_, if no one else.

"To make matters worse, there's the threat of a Nuclear Strike against Diamond City lingering," Kammy said.

"Mario, Waluigi, you two have _another_ cousin?" Tiny asked, amazed.

"I remember _Stanley_," Pauline said, eyes lighting excitedly up as she grinned.

"You _knew_ him?" Kamek questioned.

"Yes, we were close once," Pauline replied, smiling fondly at the memory. Stanley had helped her and Mario in their quest to find Donkey Kong once upon a time. At that time Mario had told her that he had been the first member of his family to see Stanley again for _years_. She'd thought it sad, really, but there had been nothing she could do that would make either Mario or Stanley open up about the past.

"We need to save Peach and our relatives!" Mario exclaimed in fear. Wario's group could only hold off the infected for so long. With this nuclear threat against Diamond City a very real _possibility_, their chances weren't high.

"Who's coming _with_ me?" Bowser demanded, immediately snapping up the opportunity to save Peach for once instead of _kidnapping_ her. It would be a novelty, he decided, one she might appreciate. Maybe she'd even look at him differently for a time.

"I'm a coming," Mario said.

"So am _I_!" Waluigi stated, shifting uncomfortably as he watched Wario, Luigi, and his long lost cousin Stanley so desperately struggling to keep everyone safe.

"We are too!" Tiny and Dixie said together, putting their arms around each other in a sisterly gesture of unity.

"And me! Oh let me come, please!" Mona begged. "I can't let Wario _die_ out there! I _need_ to help save him!"

"Mona…" Mario began.

"Mario, I'm going!" Mona shot.

"Let her come. If she dies it's-a one less mouth to feed," Waluigi deadpanned.

"_We_ can come _too_!" Junior excitedly said.

"No!" Bowser immediately shot, startling all eight of his children.

SMB

All eyes turned curiously to Bowser. "What?" Larry asked confusedly. They _always_ went with their papa. "Not _you_, Junior, not _Larry_, not _Morton_, and not _Wendy_! Not under _any_ circumstances. "I don't want Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, or Ludwig following either, but if they _want_ to they _can_." They were the four eldest, after all. He looked over at them inquisitively.

"Nah, someone needs ta stay here and look after our siblin's," Roy stated gruffly, punching his fist in his hand. "If any of them infected things try ta get at ma brothers and sister they're gonna get ma fist in their face. I'll _crush_ 'em."

"I'll stick with Roy and work on a way to fix Ludwig's mess," Iggy said, smirking tauntingly at the eldest Koopaling. Ludwig glared dangerously at him, warning him with his eyes not to push his luck.

"And I vill _help_. I _started_ zis vith Kammy and Kamek, so ve vill _end_ it," Ludwig declared.

"Then we're leaving," Bowser said. He already knew what Lemmy's answer would be.

"_I_ wanna go," Lemmy said in a carefree tone with a smile on his face.

SMB

Bowser spun, eyes wide in shock as he looked down on his smallest son, the runt of the litter, so to speak. Second oldest and smaller than even _Junior_. When Clawdia had been pregnant with Lemmy something had… happened… Something he didn't care to look back on. Needless to say, for a single terrifying moment he'd thought he'd lost them. The emergency procedure had been carried through, though. Unfortunately, Lemmy had been very premature and had never really grown much in size _since_. "Excuse me?" Bowser doubtfully asked. "I don't _think_ so."

"Dad, you said I _could_!" Lemmy wailed.

"No," Bowser replied flatly.

"King dad, please! Let me prove to you I'm a capable son!" Lemmy suddenly and sharply snapped. All eyes went to him in shock. For once one of the most childish of them all was deadly serious, and his expression betrayed as much. Mario hadn't seen _this_ look on Lemmy's face since he, Wario, Waluigi, and Luigi were trying to save the _Galaxy_.

"What?" Bowser asked, unsure he'd heard correctly.

"Let me prove to you that I'm just as capable a ruler as _any_ of the others!" Lemmy insisted. Honestly he couldn't care less about the throne, but still, it was the principle of the thing. He was the weakest of the Koopalings and as such had felt inadequate for most of his _life_… But he would defend his siblings with a ferocity like you wouldn't believe if he had to. He was weak but he was _far_ from incapable of protecting his loved ones… He just wanted a chance to _prove_ it to them, because none of them would believe otherwise. He wanted his siblings to believe in him and feel _safe_ around him. "Since Ludwig won't go and as such won't be your second in command, that duty falls to _me_," Lemmy continued.

"But…" Bowser began, unsure of how to react to this new side of Lemmy.

"Either I go _with_ you or I follow behind with no protection," Lemmy insisted stubbornly, pouting and folding his arms, glaring defiantly and challengingly at his father.

"Very well," Bowser relented immediately, because something told him that Lemmy was very _serious_ about the threat he'd uttered.

Lemmy grinned excitedly, immediately becoming childlike again. "Yay! Let's go! It'll be like father-son bonding time! Come on, papa!" he cheered. Instantly he rolled out of the room. Bowser, startled at the sudden turnaround, hurried to keep up with him. Mario, Waluigi, Tiny, Dixie, and Mona quickly followed.

SMB

"How did they breach the _defenses_?" Peach asked Wario in terror.

"I don't _know_!" Wario insisted. Wait, there had been a weak spot in his castle, a breech from Captain Maple Syrup's last attempt at stealing his treasure. He'd never gotten around to getting it fixed! "Syrup," he hissed loathingly, fists clenching.

"You mean the Captain who helped us during our last adventure?" Luigi asked.

"The one and only," Wario grumbled. "Her and her Black Sugar Pirates, Black Sugar Gang, whatever they're called; bah, who _needs_ 'em?"

"I'd really like to have them helping us _now_!" Stanley exclaimed, bashing another infected.

"She'd more likely _sacrifice_ us," Wario said.

"We might _need_ to sacrifice someone soon if this keeps up," Spike remarked. The others looked at him, eyes wide in horror. "I was kidding," the Foreman declared, raising an eyebrow at the group. They hadn't actually thought he was serious, _had_ they? They immediately relaxed and turned back to fighting off the infected.

SMB

Peach screamed in terror as she watched the others being overwhelmed only five minutes later. "Princessa, _run_!" Luigi yelled.

"Luigi, Wario!" she cried, racing forward to help them. She wouldn't _leave_ them again. The infected were swarming them all and there was nowhere she could run to _anyway_. She seized a downed Stanley's arm and tried to pull him up, but before she could an infected was lunging to _bite_ her! "Mario, help me!" she screamed as an infected tried to take a chunk out of her and Stanley.

"Dad!" Stanley called in fear. Spike turned with a gasp, pale.

All at once the windows of Wario's Castle were kicked open and in leapt Bowser! He blew a jet of flame with a furious roar. They shielded their faces and squinted up again. Lemmy sprang through the flames and the smoke, throwing numerous balls that were decorated with spikes at the infected, taking them down easily and laughing all the way. He _loved_ this job sometimes! Not as much as the circus, but still.

Immediately after him, Mario, Waluigi, Tiny, Dixie, and Mona leapt through. Instantly the group set upon the infected, Bowser roasting columns on columns. Lemmy was taking out a large number by pushing them over the edge and sending them toppling to the ground below with his giant rubber ball. Dixie and Tiny were ripping through the infected easily enough. Mario and Waluigi immediately fought through the large hoard until all at once they were at the sides of their brothers, their cousin Stanley, and Foreman Spike!

"You _came_!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Of _course_ we did," Mario replied.

"Mario, Waluigi!" Stanley excitedly exclaimed.

"Stanley!" Mario cheered, taking the time to grab his cousin in a bear hug. "It's-a been too _long_!"

"I'm missed you," Stanley said, grinning widely.

"Can we focus on the zombies, please?!" Waluigi shot sharply. Immediately Mario attacked one that was about to bite Waluigi.

"I've got it," Mario replied in annoyance, frowning at Waluigi.

"_Waluigi_? Star Spirits how you've _grown_, boy," Spike remarked.

"It's good to see you again, cuz," Stanley added.

"Whatever," Waluigi grumbled. He scowled as Spike playfully ruffled his hair and glared at the man. Nonetheless he let it slide. He cried out as Stanley suddenly hugged him tightly. He'd already hugged Mario, Wario, and Luigi, after all. He might as well _complete_ the set. Waluigi grimaced and patted Stanley's back in annoyance, willing his cousin to let him go. Stanley did so, focusing again on the infected.

"You're alright, Uncle Spike?" Waluigi questioned curiously.

"All the better now that you're here," Spike replied to his favorite. Waluigi smirked.

SMB

All of a sudden they heard a pained scream. "Tiny!" Dixie shrieked, seeing her little sister being bitten into. "No, let her go!" Dixie continued, grabbing a metal bar and striking the infected one that was biting Tiny.

"S-sis?" Tiny asked in a scared voice, covering her injury.

"Y-you'll be fine, Tiny, you'll be fine!" Dixie replied, sobbing.

"D-Dixie, I'm scared," Tiny said.

"I'm here," Dixie said, voice breaking. All at once she screamed, feeling something bite her from behind. She whirled, striking it back, but it was too late.

"Dixie, no!" Tiny exclaimed.

"D-Don't worry about me, baby sister. We're going down together," Dixie said, smiling at her sibling and hugging her tightly. Tiny and Dixie both burst into tears.

"Dang it, we can't lose any more _allies_!" Bowser yelled over to Lemmy.

"Don't worry, pops, I've got the bestest idea _ever_!" Lemmy exclaimed happily, jumping on his ball.

"The best… _what_?!" Bowser demanded, immediately suspicious about this. Whenever Lemmy said he had the bestest idea for something it usually meant his second eldest had a decent plan that would only work if _he_ played _Kamikaze_. Lemmy wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch, albeit he wasn't an imbecile _either_. His plans worked, but usually at a greater cost than Bowser was willing to _pay_; hence the reason that he rarely, if ever, took Lemmy's plan suggestions. "Lemmy, don't do anything…" Bowser began.

"Kowabunga!" Lemmy exclaimed, leaping down the center of the huge spiral staircase at breakneck speed on his ball.

"Lemmy!" Bowser roared in alarm. There was a loud bang from below and the next thing they knew zombies were flying up into the sky, screaming in alarm and terror before plunging back down to the stone earth below. It wasn't a pretty picture. "Lemmy!" Bowser called, realizing his son hadn't come back up. Bowser cursed under his breath and leapt down the center of the spiral staircase as well. He hit the bottom and let out a jet of flame, scorching a hoard that was racing towards him. He turned quickly and caught his breath, paling. Lemmy was lying on the ground unconscious. "Son!" Bowser exclaimed, stomping over to the still body and quickly scooping the boy up along.

Lemmy's eyes flickered open. The youth blinked confusedly before realizing where he was. He smiled weakly up at his father and said, "See, all we have to worry about now are the ones at the top. I did good, right pop?"

Bowser, fear in his expression, soothingly replied, "Yes, yes, you did good." Lemmy grinned proudly before falling unconscious again. Bowser, shaking in rage, roared furiously, his voice reverberating through the whole of Wario's Castle and possibly Diamond City. Seeing red he immediately stormed up the stairs. This ended _now_. His form was changing to Giga Bowser, and soon all that stood in his way would be obliterated.

SMB

Mario, Wario, Luigi, Waluigi, Stanley, Peach, Mona, and Spike gaped in horror as Bowser tore the infected to shreds, bathing the tower in, well, enough said. He showed no mercy to anything in his way until finally there was dead silence. Only then did he revert back to normal form, sobbing once and holding the still form of his second eldest closely to his heart. Gently he nuzzled the boy, willing Lemmy to wake up and sing in his annoying voice that he was all right and good to go.

"Bowser, I… I'm so _sorry_," Peach said, tears shining in her eyes. She cared for Bowser's children very _much_. They were the reason she allowed herself to be kidnapped so regularly.

"We need to get back to Ludwig's Palace," Bowser gruffly stated. The others nodded.

Quickly they raced out of the castle only to be stopped in their tracks. They gasped, paling. Ahead of them was a wall of infected, all converging on them! "Mama _Mia_!" Mario exclaimed.

"Mario!" Luigi screamed, diving behind his brother and cowering.

Stanley gritted his teeth, crouching in a fighting pose as Spike gently placed a protective hand on his shoulder. "Now we're all-a gonna _die_," Waluigi whined. "That's it for _me_!"

"Oh no, I don't _think_ so. _Nobody_ touches _Wario's_ Castle!" Wario exclaimed.

"How are you going to _stop_ them, Boss?" Mona fearfully asked, standing behind him and worriedly holding his shoulders. Wario fell silent, glancing protectively back at her. Polterpup whined fearfully and Wario's pet Hen clucked and clucked in terror, hiding deeply in Wario's rucksack.

SMB

As it turned out, they didn't _have_ to think up an answer. The next moment they heard a loud barking along with maniacal cackling and looked sharply up. Their mouths dropped, especially Bowser's. Out of the forest pranced Iggy on Chomper! The Chain Chomp leapt into the hordes, devouring them whole! "Here's Iggy!" Iggy sang out excitedly.

"And Roy!" Roy exclaimed, leaping from Chomper's back and pounding a zombie into a pile of others, ruining them.

"And Ludwig Von Koopa!" Ludwig added, leaping down and sending out a series of magical blasts and intertwining them with fire balls. In seconds the hoard had been cleared by the three Koopalings. Immediately they were at their father's side.

"What happened to _Lemmy_?!" Iggy wailed, terror and dismay in his eyes.

"Who _did_ this? I'll _pulverize_ yous!" Roy roared in rage, pounding his fists together and roaring ferociously.

"He did it to _himself_," Bowser replied.

"Oh no, don't tell me he vent _Kamikaze_," Ludwig groaned, rubbing his temples stressfully.

"He did," Peach confirmed.

"And he got us out of the Castle _too_," Mona added. "Lemmy was a real hero, and pretty _brave_."

"Then I'll pulverize Lemmy for makin' such a dumb decision!" Roy roared.

"And _you_ never have?" Iggy bit.

"Ya wanna lose your glasses, Turnip?" Roy demanded.

"Enough! We need to get out of Diamond City! The army intends to blow it _up_!" Spike exclaimed.

"We'll-a never make it to the outskirts, bro," Waluigi said.

"But we can make the _sea_," Stanley remarked, pointing out the blue shimmer not far off.

"_Let's_-a go!" Mario exclaimed. Immediately they all raced towards the ocean, hoping and praying they'd find a way out of this mess before it was too late.


	13. The Black Sugar Gang

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Second up today. Sorry for the pause between updates. I had something to do.)

The Black Sugar Gang

They reached the sea in relatively short order. Lemmy was drifting in and out of consciousness which was becoming an increasingly alarming situation to his family. They didn't even know the extent of the _damage_ on the fragile Koopa's body. For all they knew there could be something internal going on there. "I shouldn't have let him _come_," Bowser agitatedly said.

"Vithout him you vould be dead," Ludwig replied. "If anyvun _else_ had gone ve _vould_ be."

"Only Lemmy would have de guts _and_ de stupidity ta do somethin' like dat," Roy growled lowly. "I mean I ain't so bright, but _Kamikaze_…? That was a whole new _level_ of stupid.

"Or perhaps it was genius," Iggy said, eyes glittering mischievously.

"Where do we go from here?" Mona questioned uncertainly. "This isn't a location in which Peach can _summon_ Rainbow Road." Peach nodded in agreement.

"We _could_ take _that_," Spike offered, pointing out a beater of a boat. Of course said beater was also the only thing still _floating_.

"Oh great," Waluigi grumbled, rolling his eyes. Luigi burst into tears, as he was prone to doing. "Shut up!" Waluigi barked. Luigi glared icily at him and kicked his shins. Waluigi yelped. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" he exclaimed, hopping around. "Wah!" he cried as he fell into the beater. He groaned in pain as the others joined him inside.

"Serves you right," Mario said, smirking teasingly.

"Oh shut up," Wario defended.

SMB

"Zis vas a _horrible_ idea," Ludwig stated as they all frantically tried to bail water out of the boat. To be fair they had gotten a long way before the junk heap began to sink. Unfortunately not long enough, though. They were still in the middle of the ocean with no land in _sight_. If they went down here they drowned, end of story, bye, bye.

Waluigi and Luigi were sobbing and cursing their luck while Wario and Mario tried to snap their younger brothers back to themselves while also focusing on bailing water. "Somebody kick them _overboard_!" Bowser roared furiously. He yelped as he was tackled by Luigi and Waluigi. The three began battling viciously.

"Oh for the love of… We don't have _time_ for this!" Spike yelled furiously.

"The boat's beyond help! There's nothing we can do!" Mona exclaimed in terror. That stopped the fight quickly. Waluigi and Luigi went back to sobbing. This time the others felt like _joining_ them. At least Lemmy was coming to, Bowser dryly thought. Ugh, what a time to come _to_, though.

"Zis iz ze _end_ of us," Ludwig groaned.

"If Junior dies _Wendy_ takes the throne," Iggy observed randomly. Roy, Ludwig, and a recently awakened Lemmy looked blankly at him.

"Ew," Roy said.

"She'll turn the Darklands into the _Pinklands_," Ludwig remarked, dropping the German accent for the time being.

"Pink's pretty," Lemmy lamely offered. "Anyway it's not like Junior's gonna die."

"You realize, of course, that when we go down _Wendy_ will be the one left protecting Morton, Larry, and Junior?" Ludwig asked.

"Wendy's good, better than you think," Iggy defended. "She's a tough girl. She'll get them through no matter _what_. She'll make an excellent queen one day."

"Maybe she will, maybe she won't. _We'll_ never know," Roy grumbled.

SMB

"Ahoy there, sailors!" a voice suddenly called out.

Waluigi screamed in horror, spinning around with eyes wide and terrified. Wario cried out in alarm, spinning as well. "Captain Syrup!" the two exclaimed together.

"Need a hand," she tauntingly sang.

"Who's _this_?" Bowser asked.

"Captain Maple Syrup, Wario's worst enemy," Mario replied.

"And _Waluigi's_ wannabe _lover_," Luigi added, though personally he thought she simply flirted with Wally for the sake of getting under his _skin_.

"She's-a not my lover!" Waluigi snapped sharply. The very _thought_ terrified him. He doubted he could _handle_ the woman.

"Who cares either _way_? She's offering us safe passage and they're survivors!" Stanley argued very practically. The others exchanged looks. They had no choice.

SMB

Soon enough most of them were boarded. Syrup knelt, taking Ludwig's hands. "Come on up, hon," she said, pulling him onto her ship as well.

"Danke," he muttered, glancing down.

"You next, sweetie," Syrup said to Roy, offering her hand.

"I can get up maself!" Roy argued. He leapt but fell short. He frowned frustratedly and leapt again. This time, though, missing would have resulted in his falling into the sea and possibly being eaten by the giant Cheepcheeps lingering beneath the surface, waiting for the boat to go down. He cried out in alarm. Syrup caught his wrist and, using all her strength, gave a cry and pulled him back on with her whole body weight. Panting, she stood up. Roy gaped at her in shock. She was surprisingly strong. Her athletic build had told them she was in good shape, but still, to be able to lift _him_ on board? He was only the largest of the Koopalings, after all, along with Morton. "Um, err, t'anks," he muttered reluctantly.

"Go get washed up," Syrup replied, smirking and playfully punching his arm. He rubbed it, wincing. Either he was really sore after the fight with the infected or she had quite the swing. He shuffled off to stand next to Ludwig and ensure Iggy, Lemmy, and their father, the only ones remaining on the sinking boat, got onto the ship safely. Syrup knelt. "All right sugar, hop up," Syrup coaxed to the reluctant Iggy. Iggy shifted uncomfortably. "I'll catch you," she assured, smiling disarmingly at him. He hesitated a moment longer then leapt. Sure enough she caught his hands and helped him on board. "There you go, see, I don't bite," she remarked. He was quite light, actually.

"Ve'll see about zat," Ludwig muttered to Roy and Iggy. The two snickered.

Syrup knelt and her expression softened to one of concern. "Poor little guy. What _happened_ to him?" she asked Bowser.

"Just get my second oldest to safety. We'll talk when my children are safe," Bowser replied. He expected a snide comment about how she doubted Lemmy was second oldest. To his surprise all she did was raise an eyebrow. She made no comment, though, simply shrugging. Lemmy whimpered in pain, blinking innocently and fearfully up at the Pirate Queen.

"Come on, Pumpkin, you're alright," she cooed softly. She could tell the small Koopa needed reassurance of some kind. She didn't like how injured he was. She would be sure to _personally_ care for him and ensure he was treated properly and given what he needed to heal. Bowser stretched the small boy up high. Syrup took him from Bowser's arms into her own. Bowser raised an eyebrow when her skin brushed his scales. He'd sense something in that touch that didn't sit well with him. There was something off here. A pirate with a _heart_? It just didn't make _sense_. She brought Lemmy onboard. Roy stepped forward and took his big brother from her hands. Bowser leapt up and landed with a pound on the deck, almost making Syrup lose her balance. She gasped, starting to fall backwards into the sea. He seized her arm roughly and pulled her away from the railing.

"Tend to the boy. Kids, go with her," Bowser gruffly ordered, marching away to join Mario, Wario, Peach, Stanley, Luigi, Waluigi, and Spike.

"I'll go help her," Peach declared as Bowser came. Quickly she hurried off to join Syrup in tending to the Koopalings, and Lemmy in particular seeing as he was in the worst shape.

SMB

"Can we trust her?" Bowser demanded of Wario as they watched the women and the Koopalings disappear. He asked this because something just wasn't sitting _well_ with him.

"You can never _tell_," Wario replied, waving it off nonchalantly.

"She's a free spirit," Waluigi said with a shrug. "The seas are freedom. She loves freedom."

"She always _did_," Wario added. "Greed, power, and the seas are her favorite things."

"She has a good heart," Luigi said, recalling when she'd helped them last time.

"_Only_ if it serves her purposes," Wario stated, nodding.

"No restrictions, a bird in the sky," Mona said, smiling dreamily as she daydreamed about being a pirate _herself_. "She must lead such a romantic life."

"Such a _lonely_ one," Foreman Spike corrected.

"What do you-a mean, Uncle Spike?" Mario questioned.

"I'm betting she has no shortage of men vying for her heart. She probably flees them all for the sake of the seas being her love or some other such nonsense as that," Spike answered with a shrug.

"So she's not the settling down type," Stanley said.

"Never," Spike replied. "She's fine without a man. Of course it wouldn't hurt to _have_ one, she might even _like_ the idea, but she's fine without. The day she's willing to stay in one place for someone is the day she'll be _truly_ in love."

"And the day he refuses to keep her bound to him is the day he proves he loves her just as _much_?" Stanley asked.

"Something like that," Spike replied.

"Personally I think the day a man is able to keep her _caged_ is the day she'll fall in love. She'll escape, of course, but she'll-a know she's found someone who can challenge her. That woman _needs_ a challenge," Waluigi remarked.

"_You_ could do it, Waluigi," Stanley teased.

"I wouldn't go through the _effort_," Waluigi replied.

"Besides, _Wario's_ far more likely to do that and actually stick to it than _Waluigi_ is," Mona pointed out. She frowned to herself, realizing what she'd just admitted. She looked uncertainly at her boss who was picking his nose. Nah, even if Wario _did_ like Syrup, Maple would just use him.

SMB

Syrup gently dabbed a damp cloth against Lemmy's head, smiling softly. She checked the dressings that she and Peach had used to wrap his injured body, just to ensure they were still functioning. "The little guy got it bad," she mused to herself.

"Lemmy, his name is Lemmy," Peach said.

"What about the others?" Syrup questioned.

"The eldest is Ludwig Von Koopa. He's the one with the blue hair. Lemmy is second eldest and then there's Roy, the one with the pink mask and sunglasses. He's Bowser's third. After him comes Iggy, the one with the green hair," Peach said, pointing each Koopaling out in turn. They simply glanced up boredly on hearing their names before going back to doing their own things. Ludwig began to play a piece on the old organ in Syrup's cabin. Roy continued to do push-ups and other various exercises. Iggy, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, was intently working on a bob-omb he'd found, improvising and modifying it. What? Syrup had _said_ he could. It wasn't like he was going to _use_ it against her.

"Are these all of his children?" Syrup asked.

"No, Bowser has eight. His fifth child is also his only daughter. Her name is Wendy O. Koopa. She's girlish, in a way, she likes makeup, nice clothes, jewels, painting her nails, massages, and shopping, but at the same time she can be quite the _tomboy_. His sixth is his second biggest, Morton Koopa Junior. Morton loves to talk… and talk, and talk, and talk… He'd be an excellent writer, I think. He also loves to train or wrestle with Roy. The seventh is Larry, and he's a prankster and thief like no other. He's sneaky and he has a tendency to cheat at everything he does. While he's mature for his age in some ways, in others he's as much a child as Lemmy or Bowser Junior. Junior is Bowser's final and youngest child. He loves to paint. It's his favorite thing in the _world_. Bowser once told Junior I was his mother… It was cute, in a way… He still calls me Mama Peach. Junior is the most like Bowser in appearance and personality… He's perhaps Bowser's favorite even… I don't agree with favoritism, do you?"

"I never had to _worry_ about it, Peach," Syrup replied. "It sounds as if Bowser has his hands full."

"He has Kamek and Kammy to help," Peach said.

"And you," Syrup pointed out.

"Well… sometimes… I'm not their mother, though. I'm their captive. I very much have come to care for Bowser's offspring, but as much as I love them they're still my enemies," Peach replied.

"Look _beyond_ that," Syrup remarked.

"I _have_," Peach replied. "I offered Ludwig the opportunity to be the heir of my kingdom, once, before realizing that despite everything he was still his father's son and wanted the same thing for my people as Bowser did."

"Isn't he _Bowser's_ heir _already_?" Syrup asked.

"Junior took zat roll," Ludwig said, speaking up for the first time.

"The _youngest_?" Syrup incredulously asked.

"Don't ask how _that_ happened," Iggy remarked. "Captain Syrup, I've improved all the bob-ombs in your arsenal. Do you have anything else I can work on, per chance?"

"Check the cabinet, Iggy. There should be something there for you," Syrup replied. Iggy immediately dove into the cabinet she'd pointed him to.

"_Perfect_," Iggy said. He laughed maniacally as he brought out a windup device and held it close to his chest as if it were a beloved object of some kind.

SMB

Lemmy groaned and Syrup turned attention back to him. "Shh, easy Lemmy, easy," she soothed.

Lemmy's eyes flickered open. "Who are _you_?" he asked, curious about the pretty lady sitting on his bedside. He never _had_ gotten her name.

"Captain Maple Syrup, queen of pirates and bane of the seas. Just ask King K. _Rool_ how potent and greedy I can be," Syrup replied, eyes glittering boastfully.

"You're a _pirate_?!" Lemmy excitedly exclaimed, grinning almost from ear to ear as he sat bolt upright. "I _love_ pirates!" Syrup laughed gently. Lemmy winced, holding his head.

"Lay down you," Syrup chided, pushing the young Koopa back against the pillows. "You're in no condition to be moving quickly yet."

"Darn it!" Lemmy shot, obviously agitated. "Where's my ball?"

"Over heres!" Roy called. He was currently using it for exercises.

"Really Roy?" Lemmy sarcastically bit.

"Yous gots a problem, shrimp?" Roy growled.

"You really want to know?" Lemmy replied, eyes glittering slightly menacingly. He could be quite malicious if he needed to be, and more intimidating than one would think he was _capable_ of being. Long story short, he _knew_ how to defend himself. It came from a lifetime of being pushed around by his bigger siblings. He'd had little respect given to him within his family. His big brother disdained him, his younger ones never listened until one day… He smirked darkly and chuckled. Until one day they _did_. He'd been _sure_ of _that_. Ludwig's disdain had changed to admiration, which was a bonus. He'd _never_ made his elder brother proud of him before. He had gotten a lot more respect since then, but apparently that was wearing off. In time he'd probably have to teach them a lesson a second time. He could be bad if he wanted! He just… _didn't_ want to. Being bad wasn't his thing. He wanted to join a circus, but King Dad wouldn't let him. He said it was unbefitting of a Prince.

Roy glared at him but said nothing in reply, choosing to let it slide this time. Lemmy could be a scary little dude if he was so inclined. Gremlin-like and painful. Lemmy's claws and spikes were the sharpest of _all_ of them, and _boy_ did the little guy use them. Roy winced. He was permanently scarred up now, after the last time he'd tangled with Lemmy too roughly. Lemmy usually let himself be pushed around, but not _that_ day. Roy had left him beaten on the ground and whimpering. He'd laughed and hadn't expected what happened next. Lemmy had leapt from the ground, seemingly numbed to the feeling of pain—which was creepy in itself, might Roy add—and had sprang onto his back, ripping into his flesh and skin wherever it was exposed. Even Roy's _shell_ hadn't been able to fully protect him from the midget's wrath. He'd had to be rushed to emergency that day. He still winced at the memory of the stiches that had had to be used to patch him together again. He still bothered Lemmy, but when Lemmy got that look in his eye… Yeah, depending on his mood he backed off pretty quickly. Lemmy had felt horrible after that attack, though, so Roy really wasn't overly concerned that his big brother would do it _again_, but still. Better safe than sorry; and that was _saying_ something coming from the Koopaling that had been able to take down five full grown and powerful enemies as a small _child_.

"Thank you Captain Syrup," Lemmy replied, blinking innocently up at the woman. She wasn't entirely fooled. This Koopaling was capable of much more than he let on, judging by the way he'd quelled the _biggest_ of Bowser's children. "I'm not so bright, what I did was really dumb, but I manage. Mama Peach taught me to read a long time ago, and Ludwig helped teach me math and numbers."

"You were bright enough to know it was the quickest way to help your allies escape Wario's _Castle_. You were bright enough to realize afterwards that there had probably been a better way to _do_ it. If it keeps you alive and you're able to function well enough to _survive_ this mess, I'm betting you're brighter than you think you are," Syrup replied. Lemmy grinned, beaming up at her.

"Syrup, can you handle the children alone? I'm going to check on Mario and the others," Peach said.

"I've handled worse and ransomed _more_ than my share of dangerous princes," Syrup replied. "Sometimes all at _once_." Peach started, blinking at the woman with eyes wide. The Koopalings looked just as shocked. Peach cringed then hurried out of the Captain's Quarters.


	14. Heart-to-Heart

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Now that they have a chance, let's see what I can do with the reunions between families and the addition of Syrup. I don't really go much into the fate of the Koopaling's mother here, as I'm not sure what happened to her. Some think she's alive, some think she'd dead, so I'll go with a medium. I also go more into Bowser's reptilian abilities.)

Heart-to-Heart

Syrup turned back to the Koopalings. "So… what to do with _you_ four."

"You're not gonna ransom us, are you?!" Lemmy asked, eyes wide. "Wh-where's King Dad?!"

"Calm yourself, Lemmy. Fazher is out on deck," Ludwig assured. Lemmy relaxed in relief, breathing a sigh.

"Baby," Roy grumbled.

"Roy," Syrup warned lowly.

"Leave Lemmy be!" Iggy snapped sharply at Roy.

"Why you…" Roy began. Iggy held out a bomb, grinning crazily as Roy started to get up to attack. Roy froze. He had no idea what Iggy had done with that thing and he wasn't inclined to find _out_. Instead he harrumphed and began doing crunches instead. He had to be ready to meet these infected creeps head on. He needed to protect his siblings. No one hurt them except for _him_. No one was _permitted_ to.

"Relax, children, I have no intentions of any such malicious act. At least not right now," she replied, tapping her chin ponderously as she thought of the possibilities. Bowser was filthy rich. She wondered how much he would be willing to pay to see his children back. Then again, the Koopa was stubborn. With _her_ luck lately, he wouldn't pay a _cent_ for them, though how a father could do such a thing and just abandon his little ones was _beyond_ her. "How much do you think your father would be willing to pay for your return?" she questioned them nonetheless.

"Nothing," Roy stated.

"He probably wouldn't notice," Iggy agreed.

"Dad _cares_ about us, he _does_!" Lemmy insisted.

"Just not _enough_. I doubt he would even pay for _Junior's_ release. He is stingy like zat," Ludwig remarked.

"Of _course_ he'd pay for us!" Lemmy loyally stated. He was _furiously_ dedicated to their father. He always _had_ been. Perhaps it had been an attempt at gaining his dad's acknowledgment and respect and love. Nonetheless, he was sticking by Bowser for better or worse.

"Fine, eighty coins, ten for each of us," Roy grumbled. Somehow Syrup sensed Bowser would pay far more than _that_ if push came to shove. Oh well, time would tell.

"He'd pay _millions_ to get us back! He'd give up the _Darklands_ for us," Lemmy stated. Syrup wasn't sure if going as far as to say Bowser would give up the Darklands for them was accurate or just _hopeful_. Millions, though; that was all _she_ really cared about.

"What about your mother. What would _she_ pay?" Syrup asked.

SMB

She knew she'd said something wrong the _minute_ Ludwig's notes on the piano turned sour, Roy froze mid-crunch, Iggy stopped in place paling, and Lemmy's expression filled with misery and anguish. She bit her tongue instantly, sickly sweet smile falling. "Oh no…" she said. "She isn't…"

"She might as _vell_ be dead!" Ludwig shot sharply. Syrup started at this. Well, _that_ was unexpected.

"She's alive?" Syrup asked.

"As far as _we_ know," Roy replied.

"We're just not sure, King Dad never talks about her," Iggy semi-rhymed, shoulders sagging ever so slightly.

"He never tells us _anything_. We don't even know where our mother _is_," Lemmy said, gazing sadly down and tracing invisible pictures on the covers of the blanket he was under. He missed her. He missed her _so_ much…

"Maybe she wanted to be _free_," Syrup remarked.

"Nein!" Ludwig snapped sharply, scowling viciously with eyes flashing. She started, looking at him. There was confusion written on his face, though. "Or… or maybe jawohl…" he uncertainly added. Tears threatened Iggy's eyes, but he kept them shut and looked away, putting down what he'd been working on. Roy was looking down frustratedly, confusion and hurt burning in his eyes along with the threat of tears. This threat he forced away. _Men_ didn't _cry_. That was a _girly_ thing to do… Lemmy was crying, though, and Lemmy had proven himself more of a man than _any_ of them today, just by going with Bowser and not chickening out like he, Ludwig, and Iggy had. After a long moment, Ludwig continued, saying, "Even if she vanted to be free, how could she just-just _leave_ us? Ve vere her _children_. Be free, mozher, but at _least_ let us know you still love us, zat you're still alive somewhere…" Syrup was silent.

"She loved us with all her heart," Lemmy remarked, voice breaking as he remembered her. He loved his mother with everything. He had been the mommy's boy, well him and Larry, but Larry had never even gotten the chance to _know_ her. _Morton_ hardly remembered her, and _definitely_ not _Junior_. She was even a fading image in _Wendy's_ memories it had been so long.

"She left after Junior was born," Iggy bitterly said.

"If she left because she hated Junior we're better off _without_ her," Roy growled. Anyone who hated or hurt his siblings would be beaten to a fine pulp or, in his mother's case, disowned… But he didn't _believe_ his mother had hated Junior… He _wouldn't_ believe it. Why should _Junior_ be different than the rest of them?

"We want our mother back, we always _have_… But she's never coming back…" Lemmy said sadly.

"And Junior and Larry and Morton and… and Wendy… They just want _a_ mother," Ludwig added, rising and leaving the room.

"Wendy was mommy's little angel," Iggy remarked, shrugging and wiping away a tear in annoyance as he followed Ludwig. Roy harrumped and took off without a word. Lemmy sighed deeply and burrowed under his covers in an attempt to hide from the world.

"Lemmy…" Syrup began.

"Just let me sleep," Lemmy miserably begged. Syrup was silent. Finally she brushed a hand through his hair gently and left the room.

SMB

Syrup walked on deck and went up to the helm. She looked out over the water, scanning for land or any other Pirate Ships, namely Captain K. Rool's. She knew he and his people had taken to the seas the minute this infection had started spreading. She somehow doubted, though, that he was still normal anymore. Last she'd heard, one of his men had been sick. Syrup scanned the deck below, mentally checking off the passengers she had. Lemmy was in her cabin. Let's see, Ludwig, Roy, and Iggy were all heading towards the sleeping quarters with intent to turn in. Waluigi, Wario, Mario, Luigi, Stanley, and Spike seemed to be catching up on old times. She'd been extraordinarily surprised to learn that Wario and Waluigi had had another cousin besides Mario and Luigi, albeit an estranged one who, ultimately, wanted little to do with _any_ of the four's adventures. Stanley was content working his greenhouse and occasionally taking on Donkey Kong who was, as she'd heard it, currently out of the picture. Last but not least, besides her crew of course, were Peach and Mona who were chatting animatedly as they walked around the deck. All were present and accounted for. Wait, where was _Bowser_?

She looked around frowning. She didn't trust the scaly reptile to be on her ship, in all honesty. Bowser had quite the name and was _far_ from someone you would want to trust. She paused, though, on seeing him crouched high up in the Crow's Nest, looking out over the ocean. Thankfully the crow's nest was big enough to _hold_ him without the whole boat rocking from side to side. This ship wasn't a small ship, after all, so it could take Bowser's weight. At least when he was _this_ size. She was almost certain the Koopa King could change his height according to what he desired. It wouldn't be hard for him. Bowser was powerful, she knew; more powerful than he ever let _on_. If he unleashed all his abilities at once on Mario and Luigi, the chances were he'd come a lot closer to victory than he ever _had_ before. Hmm, perhaps she would climb up to him. There was nothing to do down _here_, after all. Perhaps he could shed some light on everything that had happened. She still didn't fully understand all that was going on, on land and in the sky.

SMB

Bowser growled lowly, sensing a rise in temperature from somewhere nearby, sensing an infrared image, in a way. It was a body, a human, a woman. He turned coldly, hissing dangerously as his forked tongue, which he rarely ever displayed, flickered out, tasting the air. This wasn't Peach's taste, though. This taste was exotic, a blend of spices and aromas and tastes from all around the Mushroom world and beyond that he just couldn't pin down to one word. It was the taste of an adventurer, not a princess. The air tasted of peaches when Peach was near, delicate and sweet. Of course that wasn't what _all_ princesses tasted like. When Daisy was near, the air tasted of exciting and exotic spices of all sorts native to Sarasaland.

What? He was a _reptile_ race. They _did_ this sort of thing. It was part of their makeup. In that sense it wasn't creepy at _all_ that he could taste the air and judge who was coming. "Syrup," he growled in greeting before she was even in sight. There was no other woman on board whose taste it could _be_. A few seconds later she scrambled into the crow's nest.

"Bowser," she greeted.

"How is Lemmy?" Bowser asked.

"He's fine, recovering quickly," Syrup answered.

"Kid always _was_ tougher than I or anyone else ever gave him credit for," Bowser grumbled.

"I suppose…" she began, thinking of how to phrase her next question. "They mentioned their mother to me."

SMB

Bowser immediately stiffened. After a long moment he looked at her, eyes narrowed, and replied, "Then you're the first. They never even talked about her to _Peach_… What did they say?"

"They don't know whether she's alive or dead, you won't tell them either way, and not even your two _eldest_ are certain as to what occurred, etc," she vaguely replied. He was silent. She looked up at him. He was looking into the sky with a tired and slightly saddened look in his eyes. She bit her lower lip then gingerly said, "They want closure. Tell me, is she alive or dead?"

"As far as I'm concerned, Clawdia is dead," Bowser replied.

"Do you not know or do you just not want to say?" Syrup wondered.

Again Bowser was quiet, looking down at her. After a long moment he replied, "Alive, last I heard, but… No, she's dead. There's no other explanation."

"What happened to her?" Syrup wondered.

"Why should I open up to a complete stranger?" he asked.

"Because I saved your scaly hide," Maple bluntly replied.

He glared icily at her, but to be fair she had a point. He gazed again out over the ocean. There was silence. Finally he replied, "After Junior was born… She had been sick; ill with a rare disease that left her unable to care for our little one. She went into a deep post-partum depression… It… It almost killed her… and then it _did_… She just couldn't handle it. Eight children and unable to feed the youngest who was starving slowly in front of her eyes? She couldn't watch. She couldn't handle it all… So she ran _away_… I don't believe she's still alive… They never found a body but I know… I know she died out there somewhere… She wouldn't have left them for nothing… she _couldn't_ have… Please, tell me she _didn't_…" Bowser admitted to Maple, gazing out over the ocean.

SMB

Syrup looked up at him then leaned against the railing, eyes softening ever so slightly. Part of her wished she was able to answer his plea, but as to the Koopa Queen's fate, she had no clue. "Hmm," she mused quietly. "_My_ mother left… She left of her own free will. She wasn't depressed or ill… I loved her so much, and for the longest time I believed she would come back for me… She never did… I don't know if she's alive or dead… It's hard, not to have closure, I _know_ it is. I can't claim to understand how you or your children feel, but you have to know you're not alone in the losses you've suffered. I'd do _anything_ to know what happened to my mother… It's one of the reasons I became a pirate. I thought that maybe if I sailed far enough and visited enough locations, then one day I would find her and I could bring her _back_… At least your children have their father. I had _no_ one," she said.

"I'm not much of a father," Bowser replied.

"Aren't you?" she asked. "That's not the impression _I'm_ getting right now."

"You don't know me… It doesn't matter anyway. They need a mother… If only Peach would be that mother, but _me_… It's _me_ she can't stand, and my children suffer for it," Bowser replied.

"You lock her in a cage," Syrup bluntly said.

"Because I can't do anything _else_," Bowser replied.

"No one likes to be a prisoner," Syrup remarked.

"I give her _everything_. Free-reign of the _Castle_, even!" Bowser argued.

"But she's still a captive," Syrup said.

"She loves my kids, she lets herself be captured just so she can _be_ with them; I know because I've seen her fight before and she could _easily_ avoid being taken… So doesn't that make it _bearable_?" Bowser growled. "Maybe she doesn't love them _enough_… Maybe that's why Ludwig refuses to call her mother or accept her as one. Maybe that's why he defends his siblings when she starts to get too close. Though he has a soft spot for her and her for him, he knows it's not enough."

"She's _never_ a willing captive?" Syrup asked.

Bowser was silent a long moment. Finally he replied, "No… But she's the only chance my children have of getting a mother. Don't they _deserve_ as much, doesn't _any_ child?"

"They do," Syrup replied. "But if you think they wouldn't be content with just you, you're gravely mistaken." With that she leapt out of the crow's nest and seized a rope, nimbly swinging and sliding down to the deck below. Bowser looked after her in amazement, startled at not only her words but her agility as well.

SMB

"I never meant for it to happen," Stanley quietly said, looking at the ground. Talking about the past had been a grave mistake. They had reached the part when Spike had cast out Waluigi and… Well, needless to say things had gotten intense between him and his purple clad cousin. He and Waluigi had gotten into it deep. Waluigi was ready to murder and Stanley was ready to burst into tears and fall to his knees begging for forgiveness.

"But it _did_!" Waluigi screamed. "_Look_ at this family! We are _nothing_ to each other!"

"That wasn't my _fault_!" Stanley shouted back, a surge of boldness and defiance shooting through him. "You, Wario, Luigi, and Mario hated each other from the _moment_ you were put together in the crib! That was you and them, Walu, _not_ me! All I _ever_ wanted was for our family to be one…! And then we grew, and I couldn't _stand_ you. You and Wario, cruel and greedy and violent; me, Luigi, and Mario your victims… What we became to one another wasn't because of _me_. I just sped up the inevitable. You would have been estranged from me and dad in time _regardless_; all _four_ of you. Dad hated Mario and Luigi, you and Wario hated _me_."

"We never said we hated you!" Wario instantly insisted, defending himself quickly.

"I never said I despised any of _you_ either, say for Waluigi; and that was only in a fit of emotional collapse," Stanley said. "You nearly _killed_ me, Wally!"

"How was I supposed to know that that bridge gate wasn't _latched_?" Waluigi demanded. "Thank your lucky stars I bothered to _save_ your sorry hide! After Luigi, _you_ were the one I disliked most."

"And you nearly killed me _multiple_ times!" Luigi snapped sharply, backing Stanley.

"Oh because you and _Mario_ were so angelic," Spike snarled. "Don't pretend that you, _Mario_, didn't get a kick out of putting down Waluigi and making him feel like crap."

"In defense of Luigi because Wario was doing the same to _him_! I was a child. How was _I_-a supposed to know there were better ways to deal with it than that!?" Mario insisted.

"It wasn't just you. _Luigi_ belittled Waweegee _too_," Wario shot.

"For the love of… you _all_ belittled each _other_!" Stanley shot. "I was the only one in this godsforsaken family who tried to keep the _peace_! I never insulted _any_ of you. I tried to pull us _together_!"

"Until you ripped us apart why whining to Uncle Spike because…" Waluigi began.

"Because of you getting me rushed to emergency in a helicopter? Yeah!" Stanley shot. "What part of I almost died don't you _get_?! I repeat, I thought I was going to _die_! The _doctors_ didn't think I'd make it! That was all you!"

"It was an accident!" Waluigi insisted. "I never wanted to hurt _you_! I could almost tolerate you more than I could tolerate _Wario_. You were just so easy a mark…"

"I know I was, but not anymore," Stanley replied. "I don't want to war forever with you over what happened that night, cuz. I _never_ wanted us to quarrel. It was _dad's_ choice to cast you out, _not_ mine."

"And for that I'll take the blame. I overreacted. Regretted it every day _since_," Spike grumbled.

SMB

There was silence for a long moment. Finally Mario said, "It doesn't change what happened. It doesn't change that we can hardly even be classified _family_ anymore. You stuck with your father, Stanley, and you snubbed us, rejected us, turned your back on your cousins! _Don't_ play innocent in _that_! I won't claim the victim here either, though, because in turn Luigi and _I_ rejected Wario and _Waluigi_. They became nothing. In turn Wario and Waluigi rejected _all_ of us."

"The only family I've-a ever had was my brother," Wario growled. Waluigi nodded in agreement.

"Same _here_!" Mario barked, putting an arm around an obviously distressed and distraught Luigi who had said very little.

"And the only family you and Spike have ever had, Stan, is each _other_," Luigi muttered softly to his cousin.

"That's not _true_!" Stanley insisted.

"To me it _was_," Spike confessed. "Your cousins were faces to be forgotten in time. There was only you and I… Perhaps that was the mistake _all_ of us made. We forgot what it was to be a family, what it meant to our survival and emotional states."

"Am I the only one who wants to _fix_ it?" Stanley asked meekly.

"Cousin, the rift between me and you, between _all_ of us and you and Uncle Spike, may be fixed, yeah, but it's-a too badly broken between Mario, Luigi, Wario, and I for it to ever be _repaired_," Waluigi said, forcing himself to deal with this in a calmer manner.

"The four greatest heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom and you don't even _like_ each other," Spike grumbled.

"We aren't heroes!" Wario and Waluigi snapped sharply.

Stanley was inwardly thanking his lucky stars he wasn't technically one of core four so much as he was an extra helping hand for when convenience presented itself. He wasn't the only other cousin Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi had, so he didn't feel like a _complete_ outsider because of it. Besides, adventuring wasn't his bag like it was Mario and Wario's; and he had no reason to follow them around like Luigi and Waluigi did.

"This is-a gonna be a long trip," Wario grumbled.

"Maybe that'll be a good thing," Stanley remarked to him. "Come on, Wario, cut me a break. _Side_ with me for once in your life. What do you say, are we family?"

Wario glared at him doubtfully and glanced at his hand. After a long moment he took it and shook, saying, "We always _were_."

"Nothing can ever change the fact that we have the same blood running through our veins," Luigi agreed, taking Stanley's hand and shaking.

"I never stopped seeing you as family," Mario murmured to his cousin, taking his turn.

Waluigi remained grumbling off to the side. "Waweegee, get over here and make up so we can get this crap done with," Wario ordered impatiently.

Waluigi was silent a long moment as he looked at Stanley. Finally he reached out his hand and lamely shook his cousin's, muttering, "Famiglia. Sempre famiglia." Family. Always family. Spike grunted roughly and stuck out his own. Waluigi and Wario all too eagerly took it. Mario and Luigi, though more hesitant, finally relented, shaking.

"Famiglia," Luigi said. Family. They were family, and whether they liked it or not they all had to live with it. You couldn't pick your _family_.


	15. Pirate Ship of the Infected

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Apparently Luigi has a greedy streak, so I play with that here.)

Pirate Ship of the Infected

"Land ahoy!" one of Syrup's pirates called from the Crow's nest. The group joined Syrup up by the helm where she was looking through a spyglass. Lemmy had recovered, by now. It had been a few days, after all.

"The others must be worried _sick_ about us," Mona said uncertainly.

"I cannot vait to get home and show Ashley zis new potion!" Ludwig exclaimed, grinning at the treasure he'd found below deck. "Zat iz if I am allowed to keep it, Captain Syrup."

"Of _course_ you are, Ludwig," Syrup replied, smiling at him. "If it doesn't bring me gold I have no use for it."

"A policy for the ages," Wario agreed.

"Oh yeah," Luigi said, smiling. He had a greedy streak in him as _well_, you see, sometimes an _exceedingly_ greedy one. It had toned down a bit, over time, but it was still there. He had inherited it from Wario; rather Wario's father who had been the _greedy_ one. It was a trait both he and Wario shared. "Let's-a go see what we can grab from Syrup," Luigi muttered to Wario under his breath.

"Aren't _we_ in a daring mood, Weegee?" Wario replied, grinning wickedly. Subtly the greedy duo slipped away from the others and bolted down into the hold of the ship where Syrup kept a good portion of her spoils.

"As soon as we get close I can summon the Rainbow Road," Peach said.

"I can't wait to get home!" Lemmy excitedly exclaimed.

"Then we can finally start working on a _solution_ to this predicament," Iggy stated.

"Hopefully Kammy and Kamek have made progress in our absence," Ludwig said.

"_Sure_ dey have. Dey're probably workin' on the finishin' touches _now_," Roy stated optimistically; or at least he was _trying_ to be optimistic. He had his doubts, though.

SMB

All at once they heard two blood-curdling screams that sent shivers down their spines. "Luigi!" Mario exclaimed.

"Wario!" Waluigi called sharply. All at once the trapdoor leading up from the hold burst open. Luigi leapt out, white as a sheet. Wario followed and slammed it shut.

"What's going _on_?!" Foreman Spike demanded.

"Syrup's crew, one of them was infected and now everyone down below is a zombie!" Wario cried out fearfully. They gasped, paling, and the pirates above deck began to panic.

"We need to keep them down there until we can get to a location where Peach can summon the road!" Mona exclaimed.

"They aren't-a gonna stay _down_ that long!" Luigi called as one punched a hole through the deck and began feeling around.

"Oh no," Waluigi groaned.

"Quick, to the lifeboats!" Syrup yelled to her crew. All at once the infected leapt up through the wood and chaos ensued as everyone began screaming and tripping over each other, scrambling for safety!

"Mona, come on!" Wario called, seizing her hand tightly and running for a lifeboat.

"Roy, over there!" Iggy called to the only sibling that he could see anymore. Roy raced over to him and tackled an infected that had been about to bite his little brother. Iggy pulled Roy up and raced towards the lifeboat that Wario and Mona were heading for.

"Peach, in here!" Mario cried, seizing her and diving over into a separate lifeboat.

"Ludwig, follow Mario and Peach!" Lemmy alarmedly called over to his older brother. Ludwig breathed a column of fire at an attacking group then turned, racing to Lemmy. The two eldest Koopalings dove over the edge and into the lifeboat with Mario and Peach.

"I'm-a gonna die!" Waluigi exclaimed in terror.

"Wally, here!" Spike roared, gesturing Waluigi over to him. Waluigi looked quickly and ran towards his Uncle. Spike grabbed Waluigi and threw him over the edge into a third lifeboat.

"Where's-a Staley and Luigi?!" Waluigi demanded as Spike leapt down next to him.

"I-I lost them," Spike tightly replied.

All at once Stanley and Luigi leapt over the edge, screaming in horror. "Get us into the water!" Stanley insisted. Immediately Luigi cut the ropes and the boat fell into the ocean. Quickly Mario followed suit in his, and Wario in his.

"Wait, what about our dad and our _brothers_?" Roy roared furiously from his position in Wario's boat.

"Their loss," Wario replied.

"Why you little creep!" Roy roared, going to attack.

"Roy, Lemmy and I are okay!" a voice called suddenly, stopping Roy in his tracks. That was _Ludwig_! He looked over and spotted Lemmy and Ludwig waving to them.

"I have Iggy! Where's _dad_?" Roy called back, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.

"We don't know!" Lemmy wailed. "Where's _Syrup_?!"

"Who cares?" Wario grumbled.

"Oh no, what if they're _infected_!" Mona exclaimed in fear.

"No more rival treasure hunters for _me_," Wario replied. "Hey Mario, Luigi, Waluigi, Stanley, where-a _are_ you guys?!"

"We're fine, Wario!" Stanley called back. "I've got Dad, Waluigi, and Luigi in _this_ boat!"

"It's-a me, a-Mario!" Mario said as he brought his own boat up alongside Wario's. Wario started, surprised, and glared coldly at him, eyes narrowing in an expression that seemed to say 'really?' Mario grinned mischievously. Soon enough Spike's group rowed up next to them.

"Oh no, Bowser," Peach breathed, eyes wide in fear. They saw a pillar of fire and knew he was still alive. For how much longer they weren't _sure_.

SMB

Syrup, teeth gritted, fought to keep the ship on course. Bowser was below, fighting and blowing fire. The boat was lost, and the crew. She knew that _long_ ago. She looked down below and breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the four Koopalings escaping. She heard a moan and spun with her cutlass, cutting down the infected that were converging on her. She heard a roar and gasped, spinning. Bowser was throwing them like mad and roasting them without hesitation!

He spun and bellowed, "Maple, we need to _leave_!"

"A Captain always goes down with her ship!" Syrup replied, smirking wryly. She gasped, almost falling to the infected as they tried to attack her again. "I-I can't get away! King Bowser, go, your children need you! I'll cover your back! She rolled and leapt off of the poop-deck, landing on the main part of the ship. She raced towards the Koopa King cutting down all those who stood in her way and trying desperately to avoid being caught. She cut at an infected that was going for a part of Bowser that wasn't protected by his shell, namely the tail. He was distracted blowing fire. He didn't see. The infected that Syrup had downed fell at Bowser's feet, startling him.

"Nice," Bowser praised.

"Go!" she ordered again. He nodded and began to run. All at once she screamed as something from below deck grabbed her ankle and began pulling her towards the gaping hole in the ship. She would fall into a hoard, she knew, and stand no chance. "No!" she shrieked in terror, clawing at the planks. She screamed again as she lost her hold and fell towards them. All at once her arm was seized. Her eyes, tightly shut, snapped open as she gasped. Bowser was there, holding her up. "Help me, _please_! _Help_ me!" she shrieked, feeling the infected still pulling. She felt as though she would be ripped in half at any moment! Bowser growled lowly then roared in fury. He breathed a pillar of fire down into the hold. The infected shrieked in agony as they burned. She felt the grip on her ankle loosen. With a powerful jerk Bowser pulled her up and carried her bridal style to the edge. With a roar he leapt overboard and into the ocean, the Captain in his arms. She clung tightly to him. Please say he could swim, oh please, _please_ say he could swim.

They splashed into the water, going under. He placed her onto his back. She clung to the spikes, holding her breath. He broke the surface and began to swim as if it came completely _naturally_ to him. She coughed, gasping for air, and clung to his shell for dear life.

"Dad, Syrup!" Ludwig called in alarm.

"I'm fine, get rowing! We need to summon the Rainbow Road!" Bowser roared. They nodded.

"Thank you," Syrup breathed, letting herself collapse onto his back and finally relax.

"Hmm," Bowser simply replied.

SMB

The Rainbow Road hovered above the water as they drew near to land. "After you, Princessa," Mario gallantly offered, bowing to her. "And you two too, Ludwig and Lemmy." Peach smiled tiredly at him and climbed up. Ludwig and Lemmy nodded, following.

"Women and children first," Wario growled, gesturing for Mona, Roy, and Iggy to follow. All too willingly they did so, Mona rewarding Wario with a peck on the cheek which he brushed off while grumbling in annoyance. Syrup stood on Bowser's back and leapt onto the road as well.

"Luigi, you first, then Stanley, then Waluigi, then Mario, then Wario," Spike directed. It was vaguely in the order of youngest to oldest, though Spike wasn't sure whether Waluigi was older than Luigi or the same age or even if the four were quadruplets and _Stanley_ was eldest. It hardly mattered. Luigi, Stanley, and Waluigi clambered up onto the road. Mario and Wario followed. "You're younger than me, you next," Spike said to Bowser.

"I'm also an expert at _swimming_," Bowser growled in reply. "Elderly should have gone with women and children." Spike scowled at him coldly. He wasn't _that_ old. Okay, he was in his late sixties at this point in his life, but _still_! He harrumphed and obeyed, nonetheless. Bowser, for his part, was actually quite enjoying his swim, honestly. He almost didn't _want_ to get out. Still, what had to be done and all that. He scrambled onto the Rainbow Road, joining the others.

"Such a waste," Syrup ruefully said, shaking her head as she forlornly watched her ship sinking into the ocean. All that gold, all those _men_… They had to _fix_ this.

"Are you okay, Miss Maple?" Lemmy questioned.

"I'm fine, love," she answered, patting Lemmy's head. "Just a little shaken and sad."

"Yous one tough _lady_, Miss Maple," Roy remarked in admiration. "Pound it." She smirked and obliged. She winced at the power in Roy's pound, which was probably his lightest, but shook it off.

"It's extraordinary what the human body is capable of when put to the test!" Iggy marvelled.

"And the Koopa body," Syrup added, still marvelling at the raw power Bowser had displayed.

"Ve should hurry. Ze others are vaiting," Ludwig said, nodding to Syrup with a small smile.

"Lead the way. _We_ don't know where we're going," Spike replied to Ludwig.


	16. Bittersweet Return

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Third up today. Again, there are hints at pairings but they can also be construed as friendship.)

Bittersweet Return

Parakarry, keeping watch for the others, felt his heart steadily sinking. It had been days now. They were dead, they _had_ to be. He looked sadly down and then back up. He gasped, eyes widening. There, coming towards the Castle! It was _them_! "You're _alive_!" Parakarry exclaimed, immediately zipping over to the group. "Do you have any idea how _worried_ we've all been?"

"I'm sure we'll find out," Bowser grumbled as they reached the Castle doors. The Koopa King pushed them open, revealing the Grand Hall of the palace. Everyone was there. Sharply they looked over.

"Bowser!" Kamek exclaimed, unable to stop himself from covering the distance and embracing the King that he'd raised from infancy like a father.

Bowser thought about toasting him but then decided against it. Shockingly enough he found himself _hugging_ the old mage _back_. "Dad," he grumbled so quietly that only Kamek could hear. Kamek's eyes widened. Why Bowser hadn't called him that for _decades_. He smiled softly at the King and drew back.

"Daddy!" the four youngest Koopalings cried out, racing to Bowser and throwing themselves into his arms. "Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy!" they added on seeing their siblings, immediately enveloping the four eldest in hugs.

"Welcome back, your Royal Familyness," Kammy gently said, smiling gratefully with relief in her eyes. She flew to Kamek and hugged him tightly as she relaxed for the first time in days.

"Stanley, it's really _you_!" Pauline exclaimed in excitement, grinning widely. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. He laughed, spinning her around in the air. "What are you _doing_ here?" Pauline questioned.

"Cousin Wario and Cousin Luigi picked my dad and me up at dad's construction site. We escaped to his Castle and got swarmed. Luckily Mario, Waluigi, and the others came to our rescue in time," Stanley narrated.

"Where… where's Candy, Diddy, Toad, Birdo, Tiny, and _Dixie_?" Daisy questioned.

Immediately a hush fell over the group. "They… they didn't _make_ it," Mario said, painfully looking down and to the side.

"No…" Rosalina breathed, covering her mouth.

"Great, we're dropping like flies," Ashley said.

"And gaining new survivors each time," Ludwig pointed out, gesturing to Stanley, Spike, and Syrup.

"Speaking of which, who are _you_?" Wendy questioned the strange woman she'd never seen before.

"Me? I'm a Pirate, Captain Maple Syrup," Syrup replied, smirking. "You must be Wendy, Morton, Larry, and Junior. Your father, Princess Peach, and your brothers have told me a lot about you all. King Koopa saved my _life_."

"_You_ saved _Lemmy's_. Besides, I figured I might as well. What _else_ could I do?" Bowser grumbled, shrugging.

"Welcome Captain Syrup, Foreman Spike, Stanley," Rosalina greeted. Daisy smiled as well, though her eyes were sad. So many of their friends… Gone just like that… It hurt to know they weren't going to be here anymore… Star Spirits, how were they going to get _out_ of this?

"This disease… It needs to be cured," Daisy gravely said as Luigi, sensing her distress, gently took her into his arms. Gratefully she hugged him back.

"There's no way we _can_ fix it," Kammy said. "We've tried _everything_. Even with Ashley's help, no magical brew will _reverse_ this."

"Maybe Professor Elvin _Gadd_ can with _science_," Luigi suggested. All eyes turned to him.

SMB

"Weegee, do you really think E. Gadd is still _alive_?" Mario asked.

"He lives way out in Boo Woods, bro, where my _mansion_ is. Why would the infected go _there_? They'd have no _reason_ to. Besides, those woods are haunted and creepy," Luigi replied.

"If zere is a chance he can help us, ve must go to him," Ludwig agreed, handing Ashley over the potion he'd gotten from Syrup's ship without a word to her. She started in surprise and took it, curiously looking at him. He blushed, faintly, and growled, "Just thought you vould like it. Don't think I am courting you."

Ashley smirked and looked over vial. Her eyes widened. "Ludwig, this is… wow!" she exclaimed. "Do you know how long I've been _searching_ for this particular potion?"

"Uh…" he began, unsure of how to react.

"Since I was _eight_!" Ashley said. "Finally, my collection is complete!" Her smile fell. "Red would be proud…"

"Who is Red? A boyfriend?" Ludwig demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"No, my guinea pig slash best friend," Ashley replied. "He… he was turned…"

"Oh. I am sorry," Ludwig awkwardly said, scratching the back of his head.

SMB

"Why can't anyone get something nice for _me_?" Wendy pouted, watching this exchange.

"Hey, I gave you that jeweled Console Controller I got when I made a run—err, a flight—down to the nearest town to get _supplies_," Parakarry defended.

"You got me a _what_?!" she screamed in delight, grinning ear to ear.

"Didn't I give it to you? I'm sorry, Princess Wendy," he said, quickly reaching into his mail bag and handing it over. "I sometimes forget. Seeing your guilty pleasure, I just thought you would like it so I grabbed it for you."

"This is _amazing_!" she squealed in delight, jumping up and down. Parakarry grinned.

"Tell me you aren't trying to court my daughter," Bowser growled at the mailman.

Parakarry's smile fell to a wide-eyed look of alarm. "_No_ sir King Bowser sir! She's a teenager and _I'm_ around my _twenties_!" Parakarry replied quickly.

"You call that an _age_ difference?" Bowser demanded. Parakarry awkwardly shrugged. What could he _say_? "You should be _honored_ to court my daughter!"

"I am, sir, I mean I would be if I were, I mean I'm just not ready, I mean she's too young, I mean…" Parakarry stammered.

"Shut up while you're still ahead," Larry warned, covering Parakarry's mouth and glaring at him with a warning scowl.

"We should start for E. Gadd's shack tomorrow at the latest," Kammy stated, breaking it up.

"Right," the others all agreed together.

SMB

"I'm, like, so totally glad you guys are back. Junior, Larry, and Morton were so totally getting annoying," Wendy said to Roy and Lemmy as the three of them walked down the corridors of Ludwig's Palace. "Ugh, if I'd had to take over the throne it would've been a _nightmare_.

"You'd have been a good queen," Roy simply replied, shrugging.

"Wh-what? Really? You think?" she asked, looking up at her big brothers.

"Sure we do. Why _not_?" Lemmy replied for Roy.

"Awe, thank you, guys, that means a _lot_," she replied, hugging them gratefully, startling the two. Lemmy grinned and hugged her tightly back. It had been a long time since his sister had given him a hug. Heck, it had been a while since they'd last _interacted_.

Roy, for his part, blinked blankly then awkwardly returned her embrace, patting her back, err, shell. "Sure, sure, don't get all mushy 'cause of it," he grumbled. "We've had a rough time. Ain't in no mood for sentimental stuff."

"As much as I'm loathe to say it, I'm glad you guys are here and okay," Wendy admitted.

"_We're_ glad _too_," Lemmy said. "And we're happy that you guys are still safe and all." Wendy grinned. With that the three went their separate ways.

SMB

Rosalina knelt next to Waluigi, looking over the various burns, cuts, and bruises he had sustained. Thankfully none of them had been bites or scratches from the infected. It was general stuff, mostly. The burns from misplaced fire attacks and Syrup's burning ship, scratches from wood cracking or snapping before hitting him, or from his many spiky shelled allies, cuts from racing through forests, prickle bushes, and whatnot, chills from being out on the water in a sorry excuse for a boat, shock brought on by the pace at which everything was moving, to say _nothing_ of his estranged _family_. "It must have been a nightmare," she remarked.

"As if I didn't have _enough_ family members nearby," Waluigi grumbled.

"I meant out _there_," she replied, raising an incredulous eyebrow at him.

"Oh, err, yeah, sure," he said. Well _that_ was awkward.

"Don't take your family for granted," she remarked.

"Spare me your lecture crap," Waluigi bit. "What do _you_ know about family?" He immediately bit his tongue savagely on recalling her Storybook, the one she read to the Lumas. He became intimately _acquainted_ with his mistake when she slapped him as hard as she could. He yelped, covering his cheek. As if he wasn't injured enough. He looked at her in shock and disbelief.

"How _dare_ you," she said, rising quickly, eyes sparkling dangerously. For a moment he could have sworn he was looking at a Siren of Mythology or an infuriated goddess of the skies. He thought in that moment he would die, though honestly there would be no better way than at the hands of _this_ cosmic beauty.

"Wow," he said in awe. He'd never _seen_ her this furious before. He liked it. But behind the anger there was anguish and misery, and for a moment he almost felt guilty, _almost_. Okay, he felt guilty straight up, what of it?

"If you _ever_ mention my family again, you will regret it," she warned. This was a subject she didn't wish to speak to.

"For how long have you roamed?" he wondered. She started at this, confusion coming to her eyes. "In your storybook it said you came to Earth once every one-hundred years," he explained. She was silent, pain and uncertainty and vulnerability suddenly in her eyes. His gazed softened, but he wouldn't let this go. Gently he questioned, "Per quanto tempo hai vissuto, mia regina delle stelle?" For how long have you lived, my queen of the stars?

SMB

She was silent a long moment. All at once she burst into tears, falling to her knees and covering her face, shaking her head in denial. Before he could think, he'd instantly knelt in front of her and pulled her close to his chest. Shockingly enough she didn't pull away but instead leaned _against_ him. "Centuries and centuries," she answered through her sobs.

"Do you even _remember_ them, your family?" Waluigi asked, defying her order to keep silent about them. He was Waluigi. Waluigi did what Waluigi _wanted_ to do. Besides, if she said no he'd have his opening to defend _his_ reasons for hating his family.

"I couldn't forget, I couldn't forget. I wanted so _badly_ to…" she wept, and he was genuinely startled. Even after all this _time_?

"What was your mother's name?" Waluigi challenged.

She sobbed. "Don't make me answer you. To say it…" she began before trailing off. To say it would be too painful…

"What about your father's?" he questioned. Again she was refused to speak, but he knew she recalled it like it was yesterday. "And what of… what of your brother?" he asked.

For a good long moment she was silent, silver tears slipping down her pale cheeks. "My brother…" she finally whispered, remembering him as clearly as if he were here _now_. "Oh Celestial Night, how you must have _felt_ when I _left_…" She remembered that she always used to call him that; her pet name for him. "What did I do to you? How many centuries has it been since you died? How often did you grieve for me, did you beg for me to come home? Where were you buried, dear sibling? Next to mother and father? Alone?"

She was no longer speaking directly to him, Waluigi knew, and he felt a painful clenching in his gut as for one moment he wondered what it would be like had _he_ been in _her_ place. "Rosalina…" he began.

"I miss him so, _so_ much," she said in a breaking voice, finally answering. It was another name he wouldn't get from her, he knew.

SMB

For a time he was quiet. "Will my queen ever age, ever be free of immortality's curse?" he finally questioned in a soft whisper, his arms around her tightening ever so slightly.

"I'm not immortal," she whispered. "Only ageless… I will _never_ be free of that…"

"Is that a guess or a fact?" Waluigi asked.

"Assumption," she answered.

"To watch the world around you dying, all those you loved taken from you," Waluigi mused, thinking it over. He supposed it wouldn't be so bad if no one _else_ ever aged and they _all_ were timeless, but that wasn't how it was.

"I never want to love," she said. "To love will mean an eternity of mourning. He will die, and I will live on forever yearning for him… As I yearn for my family _now_."

"Can you stop yourself from loving?" Waluigi remarked.

"I can try," she answered. He'd see about that. When _Waluigi_ saw a challenge in something, you'd better look out. He didn't lose challenges. At least he didn't _admit_ he did.

"Tell me about your brother," Waluigi prompted again, now curious.

"He was dark and mysterious, intellectual, imaginative, and though so chaotic and ominous, oh so _pure_ at the same _time_… And he was beautiful, a son to make mother and father's hearts sing. He would have been so very boyish in appearance in adulthood," she mused. "Did he weep for me? I still wonder… Where is he buried…? I don't know the answer…" Waluigi was silent. Now wasn't the time to talk. All she wanted was a comforter, so he sat still and gently petted her hair as she wept for all that she'd lost.

SMB

"There has to be _someplace_ we can go that's safe. We can't keep coming up to Cloud Kingdom, err Sky World I mean, whenever we run into trouble. The Rainbow Road doesn't _extend_ everywhere. Some placed it simply can't _reach_," Peach said to her fellow rulers. These consisted of Bowser, Daisy, and Rosalina. Syrup attended too. Traveler she was, she would have insight they didn't. The monarchs and the pirate were currently trying to figure out a plan of action. They couldn't stay here forever. They needed to fix what was happening down below, and to do that they were willing to try Luigi's solution of E. Gadd. They would need a safe place for him to work, though, where he would be close to key ingredients he would need. Not like here where one was so far up that the only things they could access were _clouds_. _This_ place was a last _resort_, for when there was no hope other than to wait it out. With luck they would solve their problem before having to do anything extreme, though.

"There must be _some_ kingdom still untouched," Daisy mused, looking over the map. Rosalina waved her hand over it. The lands they knew were gone lit up. There was only a handful they weren't sure about.

"You can cross off these two," Bowser said, pointing at a pair of kingdoms side by side. That was intel he'd kept quiet until now; intel that he'd received closer to the _start_ of this mess.

"And these," Daisy stated, pointing at three smaller towns. "As I was fleeing Sarasaland I passed them by. There were a lot of ill people and no doctors working to cure them. I'll bet it was this infection. I didn't stick around to find out."

"That leaves only these four," Peach said.

"Two. Waffle Kingdom and the other one are both gone," Syrup stated. "My men and I sailed by them only a few days before picking up your friends. There was nothing left."

"I'll examine the last two," Rosalina said, waving her wand and closing her eyes. The image of the two kingdoms lit up.

"Gone, _both_ of them. There's nowhere _left_," Bowser stated.

"Wait, what's this here?" Daisy questioned, pointing at a small part of the map where the outline of a small Kingdom was seen.

Syrup squinted at it curiously. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Why it's the Flower _Kingdom_!" she exclaimed.

"Which is…" Daisy pressed.

"It's a beautiful land, very prosperous but virtually unknown. It's ruled… it's ruled by my ex-fiance," Peach admitted for Syrup.

"You had a _fiance_, Peachy?" Daisy asked.

"Long ago, just after I first met Mario and Luigi," Peach replied.

"What happened?" Rosalina questioned.

"I fell in love with Mario. The Prince knew that was so. Therefore he set me free," Peach vaguely summed up. It was a painful time to look back on. She'd _hated_ hurting him. She would have been his wife, he was a good man, but he refused to bind her to him when her heart was another's. He'd loved her very dearly then.

"Check it," Bowser said to Rosalina. Rosalina did so, opening up an image of the Flower Kingdom. They started.

"It's alive. Whoever this Prince _is_, he's kept it clear," Rosalina said in wonder. It was nothing short of a _miracle_.

"His name is Haru," Peach said, smiling softly at the area. He was a good ruler. He always _had_ been.

"We have a backup, then. Hopefully we won't _need_ it," Bowser stated. "Now come on. We need to start planning to find this _Professor_ that Luigi knows." The others all nodded.


	17. Heavy Losses

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Fourth up today. There are a lot of losses in this one, so brace yourselves.)

Heavy Losses

"Who all do we have left now?" Ashley wondered to Ludwig, who held a clipboard.

"Let me see," Ludwig replied, scanning his sheet of paper. "Living: Bowser, Captain Syrup, Kamek, Kammy, me, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, Larry, Junior, you, Mona, Wario, Waluigi, Rosalina, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Stanley, Spike, Pauline, and Parakarry. 25 in total."

"Gone?" she asked.

"Gone? Hmm, DK, Candy, Diddy, Dixie, Funky, Tiny, Toad, Toadette, Yoshi, and Birdo," Ludwig replied. "Ve have been doing vell for ze situation. 10 gone and 25 still living. Mario and co started vith 21, I believe. Ve have gained four more. King Boo and Petey Piranha never joined us so zey do not count."

"Okay good, we'll last a while longer," Ashley semi-optimistically remarked. Not that she was an optimist in any sense of the word, but still.

"Let's get down to ze ozhers. Ve are preparing to leave," Ludwig said. "I still believe ve should leave some people here, but fazher insists it is too risky. Ze clouds are not white and fluffy anymore, even up here, and it does not sit vell vith him. Not zat clouds could hurt us, but Lakitu's know of zis place, they ride on clouds, and ozher paratroopers vould likely follow them up.

"They wouldn't bother _finding_ us," Ashley replied.

"Maybe not, but Bowser vants all of his children in sight. He refuses to separate us," Ludwig replied.

"He wants to protect you at all _costs_," Ashley said, smirking in amusement. Ludwig harrumphed but said nothing. He took her arm and leapt from the top of his castle. She screamed in alarm before he smirked and began to flutter jump their way down to the ground where the others were gathering. "Whoa," she said, amazed. Apparently she didn't know _half_ of what Ludwig abilities were yet.

Bowser looked them appraisingly over, glared warningly at Ashley, then said, "Let's get moving. The sooner this is fixed the better." With that the 25 set off.

SMB

The trip had gone quietly, so far. They had run into a few herds, but nothing they couldn't take care of. They were a large group, after all. Theoretically nothing would be able to touch them. Unfortunately nothing ever went as smoothly as all that. Besides, they weren't exactly having a good day. There were clashes happening left, right, and center and it was getting loud and ridiculous.

"How can we get through this if we're always fighting?" Junior questioned Wendy, looking forlornly up at her.

"Ugh, _tell_ me about it," Wendy agreed.

"Wendy, are you gonna die?" Junior asked.

"Cha, yeah right," Wendy replied, obviously offended at the idea she would fall. "I'm daddy's little girl. He won't let anything happen to me."

"I'm afraid," Junior said.

"I'll _protect_ you, stop being scared," Wendy said, getting annoyed with her baby brother.

"You will?!" he asked, grinning with eyes wide.

"Of _course_ I will. You're my little brother. That's what big sisters do, protect their little siblings. Besides, if you were gone who would I play _video_ games with?" she teased, smirking at him.

Junior grinned and snickered along with her. Usually his family was at each other's throats, always fighting and plotting to kill one another. This infection, though, had pushed them together. At least for now. When it was over they would probably go back to being the same as always, but until then they had to stick together. Not that it was working well _currently_. Roy was battling it out with Ludwig, and Iggy was trying to experiment on Morton who was loudly protesting. Lemmy and Larry were getting on everyone's nerves, racing around playing jokes or pranks on them and generally not being serious about this at all, and that was only the _tip_ of the iceberg. Wario, Waluigi, Mario, and Luigi were all over one another as Spike and Stanley tried to keep them apart. Soon, though, _they_ were dragged into the family feud as _well_. Ashley was getting snappy with Mona, Peach was squabbling with both Pauline and Syrup. Rosalina was shaking her head at the whole mess, as was Parakarry, and Daisy was getting on _Bowser's_ nerves. Polterpup was chasing around Wario's pet Hen and Luma without letup, getting them both agitated with him.

"This will not end well," Parakarry grimly stated. "We're not even paying _attention_ anymore."

"This group is too large. We're beginning to think we're invincible. I agree with you," Rosalina grimly replied. Right on cue they heard a bloodcurdling scream. Wendy!

SMB

"Wendy!" Junior screamed in terror on seeing the infected trying to bite or scratch his sister! It was right on top of her and the only reason she was safe was because she'd tucked into her shell and was blasting it from there with her magical hopping rings. Parakarry zoomed forward, tackling the infected off of her. She sprang out of her shell again and began using her magical staff and her powers against the other infected that were creeping out of the woods. Parakarry screamed as something lunged at him. Wendy leapt into her shell, knocking it away. One good turn deserved another, she decided. Quickly she seized Parakarry's hand and pulled him back to the group.

"Into the middle, kids, _now_!" Bowser roared. Immediately his children, Ashley, Luma, Polterpup, and the Hen crowded there. The others leapt forth and began attacking the infected that were swarming them.

"There are too _many_!" Pauline screamed. She shrieked as one went to bite her. Stanley leapt forward, dragging her back and spraying a potent chemical solution right into the infected Koopa's eyes. It shrieked in pain, falling back and clawing at its face.

"Are you okay?" Stanley demanded.

"I-I'm fine," Pauline answered. She gasped suddenly. "Look out!" she cried, immediately attacking something that was going to bite him.

"Stanley, focus, gosh darn it!" Spike barked sharply, unimpressed that his kid had almost been zombie food.

"Sorry dad," Stanley called back, cringing.

"We're not going to make it," Parakarry fearfully said to Wendy. The group was being driven apart. This was getting worse and worse. "Listen, Princess, don't get separated from your brothers, no matter _what_."

"I need to get back to them," she replied, agreeing with him.

"Take my hand," Parakarry ordered. She did so and immediately he flew upwards and towards her siblings. He dropped her near the regrouping Koopalings whom Bowser and Syrup were herding together. "I'm going back," he said.

"Wait, what? You'll get yourself bitten!" Wendy exclaimed.

"We're _all_ gonna get bitten if we can't clear the way!" Parakarry replied. With that he zoomed off.

"Parakarry, hold on, wait!" Morton called after him, seeing as Wendy was too shocked to call the paratroopa back. "Dad, he's going to get himself _killed_!"

"I promise you this, more than just he will fall today," Bowser stated.

SMB

"Wario!" Mona screamed, leaping into her boss's arms fearfully after she had save him from being devoured. He pulled her back towards the others. They were disoriented, though, having been in the midst of their own family issues rather than paying attention to their surroundings. It was costing them, he realized in horror.

"Daisy, over here!" Luigi called, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from the infected and back towards the Koopa family, including Kamek and Kammy, plus Syrup.

"We have to fight!" Daisy insisted.

"Only to lose!" Peach shot sharply. "Look, a ruined castle with a courtyard. Maybe we can take refuge there!"

"Let's go while we still have a chance!" Stanley exclaimed. Immediately they all ran for it.

All at once there was a scream. They turned, gasping. "Mona!" they heard Wario exclaim in terror.

"Oh no!" Rosalina exclaimed, paling as her eyes filled with fear. Mona was clutching a bite mark and looking up at Wario in fear, pleading with him through her eyes not to leave her.

"Wario," she squeaked. He cursed loudly and seized her, picking her up.

"Wario, leave her, she's gone," Spike stated.

"I-a hate to agree with Uncle Spike, but he's right," Mario said to Wario.

"Boss, you have to leave me," Mona said weakly, already starting to fall unconscious.

"No!" Wario shot.

"Wario, please," she begged. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm-a not goin' _anywhere_," Wario growled.

"Dang it, Wario, we don't-a have _time_ for this!" Waluigi barked.

"Easy, he's just lost his girlfriend," Stanley defended. Waluigi scowled at him.

Mona giggled. "She isn't my girlfriend!" Wario insisted.

"I would have _liked_ to be," she murmured before falling unconscious. Wario looked fearfully down at her, willing her not to turn, willing her to wake up again as clingy as always.

"Let her go, Wario!" Parakarry insisted, flying along above Wario.

"No," Wario flatly stated.

"Oh for the love of…" Parakarry began, seeing her turning. He dove, grabbing Mona from Wario and flying her far away from them desperately. Just then she woke up with a scream and bit him hard! He cried out in pain and hit the ground, but the others were safe, that was all that mattered.

"Parakarry!" he heard Wendy and Mario scream.

"Go, keep going!" Parakarry ordered. He'd done what he could for them.

"We can't!" Wendy exclaimed, starting back. Bowser took her arm, though, dragging her along. "Let me go! Daddy, let me go!" she screamed insistently.

"Wendy, drop it, _please_," Ludwig begged of his little sister. Wendy sobbed, looking down. Nonetheless she obeyed.

SMB

Wario watched after Mona and Parakarry in shock. "Mona…" he whispered.

"Hurry, Wario!" Peach exclaimed, taking his hand and pulling him along.

"If we're not quick we'll lose someone…" Daisy began. Just then Peach shrieked as she was attacked from the front and bitten. "Peach!" Daisy shrieked.

"Get off of her!" Wario bellowed, ploughing the infected over.

"Peach!" Mario cried, racing to her side as Stanley, Waluigi, and Luigi helped Wario with the infected group that he'd attacked.

"M-Mario…" she breathed weakly as Daisy reached them both.

"I-I love you," Mario breathed, knowing he had little time to say it anymore.

"I love you too, Mario," Peach replied, smiling softly.

"Peach, don't leave me," he pled.

"Fix this, Mario, save the world, before it's too late," Peach breathed.

"Peach!" Bowser exclaimed, racing to her side along with his children.

"Mama Peach, Mama Peach!" they all cried out together. Ludwig and Roy stayed quiet, though, and surprisingly so did Morton.

"Run, run," she pled as she felt herself changing.

"Peach, don't…" Bowser quietly pled. Peach sobbed, shaking.

"You're dead!" Daisy screamed, leaping to her feet and charging at the infected with intent to kill.

Luigi heard her cry and spun. "Daisy, don't do it!" he cried desperately out to her, making to race after the Princess. The next second, though, she'd disappeared into the hoard! "Daisy, Daisy, please! Princessa answer me!" Luigi cried. There was no reply.

SMB

Time seemed to crawl by like years. It had only been around five minutes, though. The hoard had been downed and they were regrouping at this point. "Who all is missing?" Pauline fearfully asked as they regrouped.

"Ashley, Daisy, and Uncle Spike," Waluigi replied, panting as he joined up with the others.

"I'm right here," Ashley said, staggering towards them and clutching her arm. "But I-I won't be for long… I was bitten…" Ludwig caught his breath, eyes widening.

"_Vhat_?" he hissed. She looked forlornly up at him.

"I was bitten," she repeated, voice cracking. "Peach, she's gone, so is Parakarry, Mona, Daisy… soon _me_…"

"Wait, Daisy? How do you know that? Where is she?" Luigi demanded, eyes immediately filled with dismay.

"She was the one who _bit_ me," Ashley answered, looking down. "She looked so normal. She was fighting with me one second and the next… The next she was sinking her teeth into my arm. I don't even know _when_ she was infected. She looked so untouchable."

"She always _was_," Luigi numbly replied, slipping into shock. This-this couldn't be happening, it _couldn't_ be!

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help her," Ashley said. She winced and hissed in pain. "Here I thought I could make it _through_ this nightmare," she said.

"Ve vill find a cure, Ashley, I svear it!" Ludwig insisted, taking her arm gently and examining the bite. He winced. It looked so painful… He wanted to tell her to just hold on, but he knew she couldn't. He wanted to tell her if would be okay and that they would make it through this alive. He knew otherwise. "I'm sorry," he quietly said. He hadn't intended for her to hear.

"About what?" she asked.

He started, looking at her. After a moment he replied, "I am sorry zat I vasn't able to help you."

"It's fine. I'll be fine. This has to be fixed, it _has_ to. Just… just hurry, please. I don't relish the idea of being undead," she replied. Ludwig nodded. Quickly Ashley raced away towards the forest so that when she turned she wouldn't be close to her allies. Ludwig watched helplessly after her as her hand slipped from his and she vanished.

"Zis-ends-_now_," the eldest Koopa Prince growled lowly, his eyes narrowing murderously.

SMB

"Where's Uncle Spike?" Waluigi questioned, looking around.

"Stanley, Wario, Waluigi, Luigi, Mario!" they heard his voice calling.

"He sounds hurt and weak," Wario uncertainly remarked. The others sharply turned to Wario.

Catching on, Stanley went white. "No… No!" he exclaimed. "Dad, dad?!" Instantly he darted off. His cousins followed him closely. They raced into the bushes and slid to a stop, gasping. Lying on the ground was none other than Foreman _Spike_!

"Uncle Spike!" they cried out, hurrying to his side.

"Are you alright?" Spike demanded of them, looking gruff and impatient as always, but also in pain and tired.

"We're fine, Uncle, but you-you…" Luigi began, surveying the various bite and scratch marks.

"Are infected? Yep," he answered.

"No, dad, come on, we're going to get you help. We're going to get you…" Stanley began.

"Nothing but a comfortable place to turn, with my family nearby," Spike interrupted.

"Us _too_?" Luigi asked weakly and hopefully as Mario put a comforting arm around him.

"Even _you_ two," Spike confirmed. "I'm mighty proud of you boys, all _five_."

"Even though you hated Luigi and me?" Mario asked, smirking sadly at his uncle as he held the infected man's hand tightly.

"I never said I hated you," he replied. Mario and Luigi swallowed painfully, tears in Luigi's eyes. Wario bowed his head sadly, gritting his teeth and willing back a burning sensation in his eyes. Waluigi covered his own eyes and to everyone's surprise he _sobbed_… He actually sobbed… "Easy, Wally, don't do that or I'll have to start calling you a wimp like I do with lame _Luigi_." Luigi started, looking offended. "I cared about you boys, _all_ of you; don't _forget_ it," Spike stated. Luigi's gaze softened again, becoming miserable.

"Dad, don't _leave_ me," Stanley begged, voice cracking.

"I'll be back, kiddo, just you wait and see son. I love you, Stanley," he said.

"I love you too, dad," Stanley said.

"We _all_ did," Wario quietly remarked. Spike smirked, nodded, and then laid back as the infection began to consume him. Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi rose shakily. Stanley didn't move, sobbing over his father's body. Waluigi seized him, though, and pulled him to his feet and back. Just in time, too. The next moment Spike began to moan and groan and rise.

"Dad, dad no!" Stanley cried. Pauline raced to Stanley, throwing her arms around his neck. He held her tightly back, bursting into tears. Gently she kissed him reassuringly.

"It'll be okay. It'll be okay," she soothed.


	18. False Sense of Security

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: A couple more losses here. Hey, their luck was bound to start going the other way _eventually_.)

False Sense of Security

The ruined fortress was clear of infected. Solemnly what was left of the group entered. Ludwig pulled out his clipboard and began scratching off the names. He looked them over. Alive: Bowser, Syrup, Kamek, Kammy, Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, Larry, Junior, Stanley, Wario, Mario, Waluigi, Luigi, Pauline, and Rosalina. There was Polterpup, Wario's Hen, and Luma too, of course, but beyond that no one. "From 25 to 19," Ludwig murmured.

Mario sobbed, suddenly, bursting into tears. "Peach, Peach, Peach," he lamented. Luigi was just silent. He didn't move, he didn't speak, just gazed blankly ahead at nothing while Polterpup whined up at his owner. Wario was breaking things and muttering under his breath words in Italian best left untranslated. Every time Mona came to mind he closed his eyes tightly and fell silent, pausing before starting up even more violently while his pet Hen clucked down at him and cooed whenever Wario took the time to pet her. Stanley was still weeping, mourning the loss of his father. Pauline stayed close at his side, silently crying _with_ him. Bowser repetitively found himself checking over his children, counting heads to ensure none had vanished.

"This will get worse before it gets better," Kammy solemnly told him. "I hope you are able to protect your children, your surliness, but you must realize that the chances you will save them _all_ are, well…"

"Low," Kamek finished for her.

"I will save them all if I have to set this world to _burn_," Bowser growled dangerously. "If every other being alive must die, I'll personally kill them all, but my children _will_ survive."

"And I would help," Syrup stated. "It sounds fun, the idea of having the world at our feet."

"You'd only fall as one of my victims," Bowser replied.

"_Would_ I now? Should it happen we'll have to _see_, _won't_ we," Syrup said, smirking villainously at him. She _did_ like a _challenge_. He started then darkly chuckled, a smirk pulling at his mouth.

SMB

"Give up… We should just give _up_," Mario said. "Throw ourselves to the infected and get it over with. We've lost so many…"

"But-but you _never_ give up, Mario," Stanley replied quietly, obviously shaken at this.

"It's a battle we can't _win_," Mario replied.

"You're wrong!" Pauline insisted. She _refused_ to believe this was over. "We can reach E. Gadd, we can find a cure and fix _everything_."

"No we can't," Larry pessimistically said. Syrup gently placed her hands on the second youngest Koopaling's shoulder. Bowser gently ruffled his hair.

"Will it bring the _others_ back, though?" Junior quietly questioned. Everyone was silent.

"Like I-a said, throw ourselves to the infected and get it over with," Mario stated glumly.

"Please don't, bro," Luigi suddenly remarked; some of the first words he'd spoken since his Uncle's and Daisy's deaths. "You can't just _leave_ me. Mario, you're my _brother_. You're the _hero_. Without you…" Luigi shook his head.

"You'd be fine without me, Weegee," Mario replied quietly.

"We together could take on the world…" Wario murmured, paraphrasing Luigi's own words to him some time ago now. "_All_ of us, Mario, not _three_ of us, well four if we count Stanley."

"If this world is dying, it falls to _your_ bloodline to save it, Mario," Rosalina said. "_You_, the Quadrangle, the Pentameter with Stanley. You are the Star Warriors."

"We'll take back this world, Mario, but to do so we need you _with_ us," Waluigi replied.

Mario was silent a long moment, looking over his four relatives. Finally he replied, "Let's-a start planning."

"We might want to build a fire first, the snow's coming again," Lemmy remarked, pointing excitedly at the sky and grinning. He loved the snow, and he knew that tonight there would be a lot of it. They were already wading through pretty deep snowdrifts as it _was_, but _he_ didn't mind. Unfortunately, the others weren't of the same mentality as him.

SMB

The group sat around the fire. Bowser's children were asleep, as were the pets and Luma. Only the adults were still awake. "What can we _do_ anymore?" Kammy questioned. The more she thought their situation over the more certain she became that Mario had been correct in suggesting they throw themselves to the infected.

"We hold on, my dear, we hold on," Kamek replied, patting her hand softly. "It will all even out."

"We never should have fiddled with Ludwig's mushroom," Kammy said.

"I know. We were mad to _try_ it," Kamek answered.

"What are you thinking of, Bowser?" Pauline questioned, noticing the Koopa King's far-off look.

"About what will happen to my children should I fall," Bowser replied.

"You won't fall," Kamek stated protectively. "Not if _I_ can help it."

"Fathers can't always protect their children like they want to," Kammy softly said. Kamek cringed and looked down. He knew that well, but it didn't stop it from bothering him.

"I'm going for a walk. Is anyone coming along?" Pauline questioned, rising.

"I will, Pauline," Stanley volunteered.

"I'll come," Bowser said, shrugging.

"Same here," Syrup agreed, rising. Turning to Mario, Wario, Waluigi, Luigi, Kammy, and Kamek, she asked, "You can hold down the fort, right?"

"Easily," Kammy answered. With that Pauline, Bowser, Syrup, and Stanley walked off.

"Be careful!" Mario called after them; more specifically Stanley, who waved back.

SMB

Stanley and Pauline were up front talking and giggling, Stanley boldly holding her hand while blushing. He'd always had something of a crush on Pauline, even when she was with Mario. He'd wanted to be the one to rescue her sometimes. He'd never gotten the opportunity, not like _Mario_ had. He was glad that the cold of the winter air had turned his cheeks rosy or she would see how much he was blushing. Trailing behind the two at some distance walked Bowser and Captain Syrup.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Pauline questioned Stanley softly, reassuringly squeezing his hand.

"As well as I _can_," Stanley replied, fighting back a burning sensation in his eyes. "You know, Dad and I hadn't talked much these last few years. I don't know why. We just never got around to it, just didn't have the motivation or something… Then _this_ happened, and we stuck together, and things were _good_ again. They were _good_. We were doing _good_… Now he's-he's _gone_. He's just _gone_… I should have spent more time with him, tried to contact him more often or _something_… This isn't _right_."

"You're in mourning, it's natural. We'll get him back, Stanley. We'll get _everyone_ back," she promised.

"Did I ever tell you how much you mean to me?" Stanley wondered, smiling softly and gratefully at her.

She blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and biting her lower lip. "Probably more than I ever meant to Mario… I wasn't blind to your affections, Stanley, to what you felt for me; but Mario was there and then there was the DK issue and then things got complicated… I know it's not an excuse, but… You know, maybe it's time I moved on."

"Pauline, what are you saying?" Stanley asked, immediately listening intently.

"If… if you're still interested, I'd love to get a dinner or drinks or something with you sometime; after this is all over," she said, blushing furiously.

He grinned widely. "I'd love to, Pauline," he answered excitedly. She grinned and hugged him tightly.

SMB

Bowser was silent as he walked next to Syrup. She glanced up at him but said nothing, trying to read his thoughts. He was surprisingly difficult to read. "I saved your life," he remarked.

She stiffened, stopping in her tracks suspiciously. "You did," she admitted.

"You owe me a favor," he said.

"What makes you think I'd honor a pact like that?" she questioned.

"There's no reason for you to be afraid of what it is I'd ask you," Bowser growled. "That's the _last_ thing on my mind. Just take care of my children if anything happens to me."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Take care of them. I know you won't stay, but just check in on them at least from time to time," Bowser replied. "Peach isn't here to do it anymore."

She was quiet for a long time, just looking up at the Koopa King who was gazing expectantly down at her, authoritative and majestic, and for the first time she saw in him the King that he was, the King you would never guess _existed_ beneath his exterior. Finally she replied, "I will."

The wind blew her hair and she shivered. He breathed fire, enough to warm her. She looked curiously at him. He shrugged and headed back to the fortress. All at once there was a terrified shriek. Bowser and Syrup gasped, spinning. "That was Pauline!" Bowser exclaimed.

"Run!" they heard Stanley shout. A group of infected were racing out of the woods. Stanley grabbed Pauline's hand and the two made a break for it, racing as quickly as they could. Pauline screamed again as the infected grabbed her. "No!" Stanley called. Bowser and Syrup raced towards the two, Bowser breathing a pillar of fire and Syrup slicing the attacking hoard with her scimitar. They were too late to save Pauline, though. Stanley tried to hold onto her for as long as he could, but all at once she was pulled back into the Infected with a scream of horror. "Pauline!" Stanley cried out.

"Run!" Bowser roared, grabbing Stanley and pushing him towards the fortress. Again Stanley tried to fight, but Bowser picked him up. Just then he noticed Syrup wasn't there. "Maple?!" he called out. All at once she leapt out of the hordes, pulling Pauline along.

"Back to the Castle!" she ordered. Immediately Bowser obeyed.

SMB

The others heard the screaming. "Something's wrong!" Luigi exclaimed, leaping to his feet with the others as the Koopalings began waking up. They scrambled to the edge and looked into the fields.

"Infected!" Waluigi shouted. The ancient walls would keep the infected out, yes, but the question was for how _long_? Bowser, Syrup, Pauline, and Stanley leapt back into the safety of the courtyard and hurried inside, Stanley in tears and Syrup looking terrified.

"What happened, Stanley?" Wario demanded.

"They-they got _Pauline_!" Stanley replied, covering his mouth in fear as he looked at her fearfully. She was sobbing.

"Father, were you bitten?" Iggy demanded immediately.

"No," Bowser answered simply.

"That's something, at least," Kammy said worriedly.

"We can't afford to stay here. They'll _find_ a weak spot, they always _do_," Kamek declared.

"So we-we're t-_trapped_ here?" Wendy fearfully questioned.

"No, we'll find a way out," Bowser vowed dangerously, glaring out over the infected.

"I'll take Pauline," Rosalina calmly said. Turning to her she continued, "I'll do all I can to give you a comfortable final few moments. Perhaps we can learn something about how this infection operates by observing."

"Hurry, Rosie, before it's too late," Pauline gratefully pled. Rosalina solemnly nodded and took the woman away. Pauline cast one last apologetic look back at Stanley before vanishing. Stanley broke down, falling to the ground and burying his face in his knees. The others weren't far off from _joining_ him in his sobbing. The Koopalings were _already_ crying say for Roy, Iggy, and Ludwig. Morton was fighting but failing. He suddenly sobbed. Roy instinctively pulled Morton close, feeling tears slipping from his _own_ eyes. Ludwig took a deep breath. Part of him wanted to weep and give up, but he wouldn't. He began to pace restlessly, racking his brain for any potential cure. Iggy was staring at the ground, brow creased in thought. It was apparent he was doing the same, but even _together_ the two brothers had failed to come up with a fix for this. At least not one they had the _resources_ for. Star Spirits… What could they _do_ anymore?

SMB

Bowser gathered his children to the side as they waited for Rosalina to come back and tell them that Pauline was gone. "Kids, there's something I have to do," Bowser said. He gestured for Kamek and Kammy to come. Quickly they joined him, curious. Syrup, catching the peculiar behavior, eased ever so carefully towards them, close enough to hear what was being said.

"Vhat iz it, fazher?" Ludwig questioned.

"Listen carefully, especially you and Ludwig, Junior, because what I'm about to say will change everything," Bowser said.

"Wh-what is it, daddy?" Junior questioned.

Bowser sighed deeply. Gods, if he'd known how hard this would be… "If no cure can be found before the land is ravaged, then this world… It will be a very hard and challenging place to navigate, to rule… When the infection runs its course all that will be left are the remnants of civilization trying to rebuild itself… and it's a challenge that I don't believe you, Junior, will be _up_ to… If this isn't fixed, if things don't go back to the way they are and somewhere along the lines I die… then Ludwig, _you_ are to rule as King, _not_ Junior."

"Take the throne, Ludwig, _please_ take it!" Junior shrieked in terror, his imaginings of a dying world terrifying his thoughts and making him feel like shrivelling up.

"Fazher…" Ludwig said, obviously overwhelmed at this sudden news. He wasn't the _only_ one. The others, Kamek and Kammy included, were gawking at the King as _well_.

"You are my heir if the world remains as it is. However, if this world is fixed, Junior takes precedence as Crown Prince again. At least for a time… and you will be my heir _again_ if ever the world becomes a place that is just too _much_ for Junior to take on," Bowser stated.

All at once Ludwig hugged his father tightly. "Danke, fazher, danke!" he gasped in relief. It wasn't so much that he wanted the throne—rulership would distract him from the things he loved after all—as it was that his father had shown, in this moment, more faith in him than he ever had _before_. Junior could have _had_ the throne, for all he cared, but for now… for now he was _feeling_ the rush. Bowser awkwardly hugged him back.

SMB

It was ten minutes before Rosalina reappeared, brushing a tear from her eyes. "It's done," she stated quietly. "She turned two minutes ago…" Looking to Syrup, she added, "Thank you for bringing her here… I-I thought you would have left her the moment you realized."

"I _should_ have," Syrup answered, shaking her head ruefully. It had been a lesson in futility. They hadn't learned anything they didn't already know.

"Tell me about it," Waluigi grumbled. He wouldn't try and hide who he was from the others. He wouldn't put on a perfect persona like so many did. He was what he presented, cold and uncaring.

"You feel nothing?" Rosalina asked.

"Annoyance; I'm annoyed we haven't figured this _out_ yet," Waluigi replied, brushing it off. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a courtyard path to shovel. That place was a _disaster_ to tramp through. We practically had to _burrow_ our way to the door." If they were suddenly attacked and needed to have a quick getaway, that would be a nightmare. Running through snow up to you knees was no pleasant task.

Rosalina raised an eyebrow at Waluigi. She looked out the window and cringed. He was right about the garden paths. It would be best to shovel them off; just in case a quick escape was needed. Strange, how he'd offered without being asked. She felt him leave her side and turned as the door of the fortress slammed shut. The rest of them wandered off to do their own things.

SMB

Waluigi shovelled the snow, muttering under his breath. What was he doing this for? Oh well, at least there was a bright moon and at least he was still alive. He shuddered remembering his close call in Toad Town. It seemed like an eternity now, but it had only been a few days, or maybe a week, since Mario had driven to his rescue. Good thing _too_. He was a fraction of a second away from being attacked by numerous sharp pointy objects, cough, cough, teeth and nails. He didn't like the idea of being a human pincushion.

"Well done, Waluigi. You're making quite some progress," Rosalina remarked. It was the fifth time she'd come to the door sipping tea to check on him.

"I'm touched by your worry, your highness," he replied simply, and it _was_ true in a way. Not that he cared about her worry, but it was an interesting feeling; and he knew she was worried because, well, what _other_ reason did she have to keep coming out and checking if he was still alive? She blushed and looked down. He was getting tired and yet again he found himself wondering why he was bothering to do this. Was it for practicality's sake or because he wanted her to notice him? Wait, notice? _He_ didn't want her to _notice_. Humph, stupid Luigi and Mario and Wario with their sickening love lives. _Waluigi_ didn't _need_ one. Though to be fair that didn't explain why he still felt guilty over their last fight. Oh, and Mario, Luigi, and Wario's love lives had just come to an abrupt halt too, he had to remember; Stanley's as well.

He stepped into a snow bank and his leg was buried up to his knee. He blinked blankly then scowled, grumbling. This night just got better and better. He heard Rosalina laugh lightly. Oh who asked _her_? He sharply glared at the woman. She stopped laughing. "Are you alright?" she asked, smirking.

"I'm sorry, does this amuse you, Princessa?" he sarcastically asked, yanking free and shivering. "Maybe I should tramp _through_ the snow to form a path instead of _shovelling_, hmm? After all, anything for _you_." He was aware he was being more bitter and sarcastic than usual, but hey, he was allowed after what _he'd_ gone through. He'd just lost his _Uncle_, for Pete's sake, as _well_ as his once long-time crush. He sat back in the snow bank, exhausted. If nothing else, though, keeping busy was helping him cope with the loss. Quietly he began to daydream, looking up at the red sky. He didn't like the changes. For once he found himself actually _wanting_ to see the clouds smile again, which was sad because he detested those clouds with a passion. Outside the old walls they heard moaning and groaning, screams echoing through the evening.

SMB

Rosalina watched the walls, slightly worried. She walked back inside. He nearly scoffed. Of course, why would she say anything? Soon, though, she came out with a cup of hot chocolate and went to him. Handing it over, she asked, "What is on your mind, Wind Walker?"

Wind Walker? Was that supposed to be some sort of code name? No, wait… Had she just given him a _pet_ name; and not just _any_ pet name like all those cheesy overused ones, but a _noble_ and dare he say it _romanticized_ sounding one? Hmm, would wonders never cease? She probably had plenty more, one regarding water and one regarding thorns. Piranha plants too, likely. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"You look cold. Are you… are you feeling alright? Did… were you scratched, bitten at any time?" she nervously questioned, suddenly looking afraid.

"If I _had_ been I wouldn't be here _now_," he answered.

She smiled in relief and replied, as she handed him the drink, "Have some." He glared at it then lay back in the snow. Her gentle smile was driving him crazy, angering him. Why was she _looking_ at him like that? Did she think he forgave her for their fight at the race, because he _didn't_! She looked confused at his lack of response. Suddenly he growled and rose, walking away from her. "Where are you going? What's wrong?" she asked, sensing something was off. Quickly she followed him. He fell into a snow bank again and screamed in frustration. "Speak, young man. Talk to me," she pled.

"_Everything_ is wrong, Rosalina!" he barked back. "Look at the sky, look out at the kingdom. _Everything_ is _wrong_! I lost my Uncle—the only man who's ever cared about me might I add—lost a huge chunk of our allies, and now we're about to be torn to shreds by _zombies_."

"They aren't zom…" she began.

"They might as _well_ be!" he yelled, furiously walking down the garden path fuming. Grumbling, he began to shovel. Rosalina looked down sadly then took another shovel and started to help.

SMB

He glanced over at her. Why couldn't she just be helplessand selfish like princesses _should_ be? She hardly glanced at him and he shifted uncomfortably, a strange feeling gnawing at him. Guilt? Nah, couldn't be. He'd never felt guilt in his _life_… at least not often. He looked at her and said, "You don't have to help me. It's fine. I can do it myself."

"There is nothing else I _can_ do," she replied. He was silent. He wouldn't apologize, he _wouldn't_. She knew he was a jerk, she knew he was a creep, there was no reason to apologize for being himself. "There is so much more to you than that, Rain Man," she suddenly and inexplicably muttered to him; and surely she _must_ have read his mind to give such a response.

"What are you, a _mind_ reader now?!" he snapped testily. What did _she_ know about him? What did _anyone_ know about him?

"Please, don't be angry with me," she pled. He laughed coldly. He would be angry with whoever he _wanted_. Coldly he turned his back on her, ignoring the gnawing feeling in his stomach.

She looked down at the snow. A curious look came to her eyes and she smiled, a plan forming. Perhaps she could get him to loosen up. She bent and made a ball. Smiling, she set her sights on the back of his head then threw it. It struck and he cried out in alarm, swiftly spinning on her, eyes flecking with hints of purple. She laughed, eyes sparkling with a challenge. Mumbling he formed his own snowball, furious. She shrieked girlishly and ran down the path. He blinked then caught on. He relaxed slightly and grinned coldly. So she wanted to play games, huh? Well _he_ would play a game all right.

He tore after her and threw the snowball. She ducked, laughing. He dove for her. He missed her waist but he managed to grab her ankle, making her fall into the snow. She shrieked in delight. Rarely was she in a playful mood; rarely was she in _any_ mood other than her normal serious and sepulchral self. She rolled over and looked up at him, grinning as he lay above her, pinning her down. When their eyes met, silence fell. Their grins became soft smiles, eyes reflecting something neither understood; nor did they want to for fear of what they'd find. From behind the wall, however, eyes watched. Eyes that glowed red; and there was more than one set.

SMB

Suddenly realizing where they were, Waluigi released Rosalina and tried to stammer an apology, cursing himself for blushing. Quickly she assured, "N-no, there is no… no need to apologize…" She quickly stood. He stayed sitting in the drift and looked absently down the path. She bit her lower lip.

All at once he rose and grumbled, "Thanks for nothing, your highness."

"You're welcome," she replied, ignoring the rudeness of it. It was the only respite either of them had had since this whole incident had started, after all. They wandered back towards the fortress and looked up at it. "It's so quiet… so empty," she murmured.

"It'll only get worse," Waluigi answered. Shivering, she turned her back on it. She wasn't ready to go inside again and look upon that depressing scene. Waluigi watched her, a hint of sympathy in his eyes. They lit up, though, as a plan formed. He grinned wickedly. All at once he raced at her. She gasped and turned on hearing running. She screamed as Waluigi caught her around the waist and dragged her down into a snow drift. The two laughed and she met his eyes, grinning, thanking him through a gaze for tearing her from her grim thoughts. All at once he spotted a curious look in her eyes. What was she thinking about, he wondered. A cure, perhaps?

She brushed her hair back from her face then leaned towards him. Wait, what kind of cure was _this_? Hold on, this wasn't a _cure_! His eyes widened in shock. Was she about to do what he _thought_ she was about to do?! No way, that only happened in his wildest _dreams_. She was kidding, she _had_ to be. She was leading him on. She felt nothing for him at all but hatred. He pulled back fearfully. He wouldn't fall into this trap of hers. But she reached out and hooked a finger in his shirt collar, pulling him near. "No, no, Master of Thorns, Not like that," she softly chastised.

Gaping in awe her, he breathed, "Rosalie." Before he could catch up to his actions with his mind, he had rolled her gently onto her side and taken her lips softly. A kiss? They were kissing and she wasn't pulling away! She wasn't horrified or frightened. Slowly they drew apart. He couldn't even think of anything to say to her. He just gazed down at the woman, absently stroking her hair.

She was awestruck. She couldn't believe she had just done that. Why didn't she regret it? Without thinking further on it, she curled up into his lap and rested her head against his neck; her legs sprawled over his as if he were carrying her. Her hand was on his chest as she let her tears fall. Tears for the disaster they were in the middle of, tears for her past, for her future, for the present, for everything. He breathed as if he was in a dream and everything bad that had ever happened to him had been washed clean. He was overwhelmed. Weakly he lay back in the snow bank holding her tightly. What the heck was _happening_ to him?

SMB

The two were about to drift off to sleep in the snow when suddenly there was a loud crack! A portion of wall had been breached, and they heard a furious shriek! The two paled and leapt to their feet. They knew that sound. Infected! In horror they gaped ahead at the attacker. "Peach!" Rosalina exclaimed, seeing her infected friend. She and Waluigi backed away in horror, glad they had cleared the path. All at once there was a snarl and Mona appeared, followed by a roaring Daisy.

"This isn't happening," Waluigi muttered. The three women gazed at them a moment then suddenly tore after the duo, shrieking and moaning and screaming.

"Run!" Rosalina exclaimed. The two turned and charged down the garden's pathways. Towards the fortress. They slid to a stop on hearing a terrifying scream.

"The Infected must have gotten _inside_!" Waluigi exclaimed. "I _knew_ this would happen!"

"Quick, back towards the walls!" Rosalina ordered. There was a portion of wall where the infected hadn't congregated. They needed to break for _that_!

"We'll never make it," Waluigi panted. The wall only seemed to get farther and farther _away_! All at once the gates burst opened and infected began pouring inside the courtyard, half of them bee lining for the fortress and half of them racing after Waluigi and Rosalina! The two slid to a stop and cried out in terror.

"No!" Rosalina screamed. Waluigi seized her wrist and darted down the path. If they could scale the wall, they might have a chance. There was a tree nearby. Thank the stars for _that_. At least _it_ was a saving grace. But would they make it even if they got _out_? What about the others? Were they still _alive_?

"We still have a chance," he said, but he was more trying to convince himself than anyone else.

Rosalina inwardly laughed. He was wrong. She could sense that much. He was wrong. They were doomed. But perhaps… perhaps _one_ of them could make it? She looked ahead at the young man then suddenly pulled free and drew her wand. "Keep going! I'll stall them."

"_What_?!" he demanded, sliding to a stop.

"Go!" she ordered.

"In your dreams!" he barked back. She was the only other person he knew was still normal. For all _he_ could tell, the others were _gone_.

She read his expression. He had no intentions of leaving her behind and it startled her. He didn't want to be left alone. He was afraid. He thought the others were infected, Mario, Luigi, Wario, Stanley… and he wouldn't _leave_ her… "Wind Walker, they still live," she breathed. He started and paled. She'd just read his mind, he could _swear_ she had! "I'll be right behind you," the Cosmic Queen declared, deciding to lie. It was the only way he would run. He nodded and turned, fleeing with her closely following him. For a time she _continued_ to follow, but as soon as she was sure he wouldn't look back again to check on her, she stopped. She heard the things catching up and fearfully turned to face them. "Keep running, Waluigi, keep running," she willed in a whisper.

She began shooting at them with her wand desperately, but she couldn't take them all. They were almost upon her and suddenly she raced down another path, leading them away from him. She shrieked as she could practically feel them breathing on her. "Rosalina!" she heard Waluigi call. He saw the peril she was in now, but the man wasn't a fool, she knew. He understood that he couldn't save her now. For a moment he didn't _care_, for a moment he almost ran _back_, but as long as there was a chance to save them _all_, her included… If he was the only one left, this world's fate was in his hands; a situation he despised, might he add. As her eyes fell on him he closed his own tightly and leapt down from the wall, getting away from the fortress.

Rosalina kept leading the infected in a circle, looking around for Luma. "Mama, mama!" she heard him screaming. She looked up. He was floating there above her.

"Luma, help me!" she cried. The Luma darted down and she grabbed hold of him. He flew her upwards to the top of the wall. She leapt down from it and ran, pulling her star child along behind her. She didn't know where the others were; she doubted she'd _find_ them. All at once the infected were coming from everywhere, though, surrounding her. "Luma, fly away to safety!" she ordered him. He shook his star body in denial. Rosalina had no time to argue. She crouched, beginning to weave a particularly powerful spell, surrounding her body in a glowing energy. A protective bubble would only hold for so long so she would try something a little more potent. With luck this would end the scourge of infected coming after her. Luma gasped, seeing what she was doing, and immediately flew up high. Just as the infected were about to reach Rosalina, she let the spell go with a cry of pain. The infected were blown away and no trace of them was left to find. All that remained was Rosalina's collapsed frame lying in the cold snow all alone.

"Mama!" Luma cried, flying down to her. He shook her desperately but the woman didn't stir. He had to get help! He had to save his _mama_! Quickly he zoomed off at the speed of a shooting star. He would bring someone back to her. He _had_ to… Before the infected came back and it was too late for her…

SMB

Waluigi hurried through the forest alone, panting and trying to stay ahead of the few infected that had followed him. He'd taken most of them out; at least that was something. Soon he looked back. Sure enough they'd stopped following. The fortress was far away. The Infected were wandering aimlessly, groaning and moaning. There were no more screams… He shivered and almost collapsed. He was _alone_!

"Waluigi!" a voice suddenly called. Mario! He gasped, looking around.

"Waweegee?!" he heard Wario repeat, followed by a chorus of other calls of his name. He went towards the sounds and stumbled into a clearing. He gasped in relief on seeing the others. He sank back against the wall as they reached him looking immensely relieved.

"What happened? Where's-a Rosalina?" Luigi asked.

"Gone!" Waluigi answered painfully. "Sh-she's _gone_!" Ludwig cursed under his breath and began restlessly pacing, hands going to his head as he attempted to de-stress, protectively looking over at his siblings. "Where's-a Kamek and Kammy?"

"They… they were infected. First it was Kamek. Kammy tried to help him… She failed…" Bowser said, painfully looking down. He'd been right there. He couldn't help them. He couldn't do anything but watch as the man who had been his _father_ fell saving _him_… And as for Kammy, how could he have let her go like that? She was so loyal, sometimes even motherly. He looked painfully towards his children, thanking the Star Spirits that they were all safe and alive. Now, though, they had to hurry. They were out of sanctuary options. Rainbow Road couldn't be called from here, the Flower Kingdom was miles away from this location, and their last hopes rested in Professor Elvin Gadd. They had to hurry…

SMB

Rosalina lay still in the snow. How much time had passed? Who was to say? She didn't move. You could hardly tell she was _breathing_ let alone _alive_. Her lips were becoming blue from the cold, and some infected stragglers were approaching her still body. They would have either a new addition to their ranks or a fresh meal. She was defenseless.

One infected knelt and roared. Two more joined it. They went to take a bite out of Rosalina, but all at once they were shot with something very painful and very powerful. They screamed in agony, falling swiftly and vanishing into nothing. The stragglers, sensing this disturbance, began to stagger towards the one who was standing there watching. The figure easily, casually, shot them with magical blasts until there was nothing left in the field, an unsettling smile on his face. It was silent. Luma began making urgent noises, pulling on the stranger's cape and pointing towards Rosalina. The stranger looked towards her and approached, gently placing the back of a hand against her pale and cold cheek. Her eyes flickered ever so slightly. She could make out the form of a person, a man she believed. Who was he? She could hardly think on it long let alone see his features. The next moment she slipped into unconsciousness again, praying she hadn't gone from the frying pan into the oven.

"At _last_… After so many years, here you are… I've finally _found_ you… Star Spirits, I thought I never _would_…" he whispered softly. Gently he scooped her into his arms and began floating off, maniacally laughing.


	19. Haven Gadd

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Second up today. For those of you who don't know, Prince Haru was a character in the Japanese Mario Anime, a show whose title I can't recall. In English it translated into 'The Great Adventure to Save Princess Peach.')

Haven Gadd

Ludwig read over his clipboard again, dejectedly crossing off the names of those who had fallen. Alive: Bowser, Syrup, Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, Larry, Junior, Wario, Mario, Waluigi, Luigi, and Stanley. From 19 down to 15. 17 if you counted Polterpup and Wario's pet Hen; which Ludwig didn't. Polterpup was quite the attack dog, to be fair, and Wario's Hen was surprisingly useful, but ultimately they were nothing. Ludwig cursed under his breath.

Iggy ruefully looked down at the ground. He should have brought Chomper with him, but once they'd reached the ocean back in Diamond City he had cut him loose and set him free to find his own way back home. More likely than not he'd returned to the Darklands and Bowser's Castle. There Chomper would wait patiently until this was all over and his master and family had returned. Iggy missed Chomper a great deal. They needed to fix this. The sooner the better. At least Chomper could fend for himself if push came to shove.

They'd travelled for some time, Syrup knew. It had been quiet. _Too_ quiet, in fact. She didn't like it. Judging by Bowser's body language, she was willing to bet her every cent that _he_ didn't like it _either_. Things were going too _well_ for them now. It wouldn't last long. It never _did_. "I can't believe how many we've lost. I mean we've lost so many that…" Morton began.

"Shut up, Morton, before I bash ya," Roy growled before his sibling could go off into a rant. "We're _aware_ of how many we've lost." In fact, it was nothing short of a miracle that the two families had stayed alive as long as they _had_. The only family here that had lost someone was _Mario's_. That had to have hurt, Roy acknowledged to himself, but at least Mario's family was still _mostly_ intact. It was more than he could say for the _Kongs_, who had probably been wiped out by now. He doubted Cranky and Wrinkly would have lasted. It had been coming up on two or three weeks since this thing had started, and it had only gotten worse and _worse_ over time.

"Quiet, we need to be on the alert," Bowser growled warningly to them, herding his brood together seeing as they were starting to drift apart. They froze on hearing a monstrous shriek up ahead.

"If Parakarry were still here he could tell us what we were heading into," Wendy ruefully said. As it was they didn't know if they were near a small _village_ or a _city_.

"I'll scout ahead, bro," Luigi volunteered.

"Not _without_ someone you aren't," Mario replied.

"I'll go with him," Stanley volunteered.

"Okay," Luigi agreed, giving him a thumbs up which Stanley returned. Quickly the two scampered ahead and the rest sat down to wait.

"If they're not back in five minutes we go after them," Wario grunted to Mario and Waluigi. The two nodded in agreement.

SMB

It was just coming up on five minutes when a pale Luigi and a frightened Stanley returned. "What's the news?" Syrup questioned.

"We-we're just outside of an _army_ base," Luigi replied.

"Good, we can grab ammo, food, supplies…" Larry began.

"They're all infected," Stanley deadpanned. "They're _swarming_ the place. It would be a suicide to go in there."

"How do we get _around_ them?" Junior questioned.

"It'll add time onto our trip, but we can bypass it by heading towards the highway over in that direction," Stanley answered, pointing in the general direction.

"Then let's get moving. Ze longer ve vait, ze more likely it iz zat ve fall," Ludwig said.

SMB

Their travels down the highway had been surprisingly uneventful; _especially_ given the fact that the road was jammed with cars and had quite a few infected staggering around. Those infected had been surprisingly easy to deal with, though. They were coming up on Toad Town now, and a hush fell over the group. "Boo Woods won't be easy to reach or navigate," Luigi said.

"We don't have to _go_ through town," Waluigi pointed out. "Boo Woods stretches quite a _ways_."

"I want this to be over and done with; we go through town," Bowser stated.

"It might be best to go with Waluigi's plan, Bowser," Syrup said, placing a hand on his scaly arm and looking worried. Bowser shifted uncomfortably and looked towards the town. "For the children, your majesty; if we go through town the chances they are taken increase dramatically," she added.

"Fine," Bowser relented. "We'll go the long way."

SMB

Mistake, they realized very quickly as they ran from a large herd of infected staggering towards them. "We can't lead them to E. _Gadd_!" Luigi exclaimed, panting. They were all struggling to keep ahead of the surprisingly agile and quick infected they'd had the misfortune of crossing. Where were the Boos when you _needed_ them, Luigi dryly thought.

Bowser's children raced along behind him. All at once Wendy tripped and fell, crying out in pain. "Wendy!" Junior screamed, sliding to a stop and racing back to her. He tried to help his sister to her feet as best he could.

"Hold on Junior, let me help," Morton said, rushing back and pulling his sister to her feet. He wished their cousins, the Koopa Kids, were here _too_. Then the Koopa Kids could help. As it was, they'd been unable to save their cousins. Not even _Bowser_ could. They'd lost them on the flight to Ludwig's Castle. They hadn't even reached _that_ safety… It still hurt to remember that they'd failed their relatives.

"I-I sprained my ankle!" Wendy wailed.

"Little sis, come on!" Lemmy called back, sliding to a stop.

"I can carry you, Wendy!" Morton exclaimed, scooping her up into his arms and hurrying after the others. It slowed him down, though, and he was _already_ one of the slowest Koopalings! He was falling behind! He _couldn't_ fall behind! Wendy _needed_ him!

"Daddy!" Junior screamed.

Bowser slid to a stop, sharply looking back. He almost had a heart attack on seeing how far behind three of his children had fallen. He cursed, racing back to them. He got behind them and ushered them quickly forward to the rest of their siblings. "Daddy, daddy, don't leave me behind!" Wendy begged him, afraid that her father would decide she was a lost cause and abandon her to die.

"Why would you even _think_ that?" Bowser demanded. "Iggy, come back for your sister!"

Iggy hurried to obey. Morton was strong enough to carry her, yes, but he was also _already_ one of the slowest of them. Iggy knew why Bowser had called _him_ back and not _Roy_. Iggy was the fastest of them _all_; his insanity and hyperactivity confirmed _that_ much at least. He was also strong enough to carry _Wendy_, which meant that even with the added weight of his injured sibling he would _still_ be pretty much the fastest of all of them. "I got her dad, don't be sad," Iggy rhymed excitedly. He sometimes rhymed when he got excited or intended to be mischievous and lighten the mood; rather _try_ to.

SMB

"The infected are _gaining_!" Mario cried out in alarm. "We can't-a _outrun_ them!"

Bowser was silent, as was Syrup who ran holding Junior and Larry's hands, pulling them along with her in order to keep them up to their siblings. "You said you would protect them," Bowser growled to her.

"What?" she asked. Was he really bringing this up _now_?

"You said you would protect them. Don't let my children die," Bowser pled. "Take care of them."

Immediately she caught on and her eyes widened in disbelief. "Don't you dare!" she sharply shot.

"What can't pop dare to do?" Larry questioned.

"Catch up to your siblings, you two," Syrup urged, dodging the question. The two youngest hurried after their brothers and sister. She couldn't have them hearing this. "Go with them, Bowser; _I'll_ stay back and hold off the infected."

"You wouldn't last five _seconds_ against them all. _I_ have the armor, _I_ have the fire breathing. If anyone has any chance of getting out of this, it's _me_," Bowser replied.

"Bowser, wait, don't!" Syrup exclaimed, sliding to a stop as suddenly Bowser turned and roared, lunging at the infected tucked into his shell. He emerged, morphing into Giga Bowser.

"Daddy!" she heard his children shrieking; or daddy, dad, pop, papa, etcetera; all various versions of the word. She watched in disbelief as he fought, sending the zombies flying with his powerful arms and tail. She heard his children rushing back towards him, though, and caught her breath.

"No, no, get back, keep running!" Syrup ordered, spinning around and blocking them with her arms.

"Get outta de _way_! Dad, dad, don't do this, please, come _with_ us!" Roy roared in outrage, but he knew, as did they all, that had they truly wanted to pass by Syrup, they _would_ have. They understood, however, what their father was giving to keep them safe, the sacrifice he was making for their sakes.

"Keep running, my darlings, keep running," Syrup pled. Some of the Koopalings began to cry, but nonetheless they obeyed her. She herded them along, ensuring none of them turned back for their father, and the only sounds they heard as they fled through those woods were the sounds of Giga Bowser's roars of fury and murder…

SMB

They staggered through the forest exhausted, but there was nothing after them anymore. The Koopalings were emotionally drained. The older ones knew their younger siblings couldn't go much farther. Heck, they knew _they_ couldn't. In fact, Lemmy looked as if he would be the _first_ to collapse given his weaker build. "Where is it?" Lemmy tiredly questioned.

Luigi pushed through one last bush and caught his breath, gazing up at his mansion and E. Gadd's shack right outside of it. "We're here," he answered. Quickly the others came through, joining him. Their lips slowly parted.

"_That_ is a _big_ house," Stanley said. "It's _yours_, Weegee?"

"Oh yeah," Luigi confirmed. "And it's the closest thing to a sanctuary we _have_ anymore. E. Gadd hasn't been touched out here yet, so the chances are neither will _we_. Professor? Professor Gadd!"

"Luigi, is it really _you_?" a voice replied.

"It's-a me, Professor!" Luigi called back. They heard E. Gadd unlocking a variety of locks. Soon enough the old man appeared and froze at the sight. He looked blankly at them all.

"Luigi, my boy, you'd better start from the top," E. Gadd said, summing up the mismatched bunch.

SMB

They were gathered in Luigi's mansion all together now. E. Gadd was allowing their story to sink in as his mind worked to make sense of it all. Syrup was working on Wendy's bow, as the girl had no hair, and then began to paint the Koopaling's nails. Wendy grinned up at the woman excitedly. She hadn't had another woman around to do girly stuff with since the last time her father had captured _Peach_. Her grin fell. Her father… She bowed her head low. Syrup's eyes became sympathetic. She finished Wendy's last claw, saying, "There you go, my lovely, all done." Wendy examined them with a small smile. Syrup was good at this.

"I say, you all must be _exhausted_," E. Gadd remarked. Some of the Koopa children yawned, some rubbed their eyes, and others just blinked sleepily.

"All right, puppets, time for bed," Syrup said, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Just think, little ones, you'll be able to sleep in warm beds tonight and not be afraid that something's going to come and snatch you away."

"Mommy, _carry_ me," Junior whined, half asleep. He hardly knew who he was talking to or what he was saying. Syrup started at the title and fought with herself over whether she approved of it or not. She decided she did and smirked.

"Anyone else?" she asked.

"Me," Larry said. She scooped the two Koopalings up and looked around. Morton was looking down. It was obvious he wanted to be carried, but he was far too big for her and he _knew_ it.

"Morton, come here," Syrup offered. Morton looked up at her with wide eyes and scampered over, taking her hand timidly. She smirked and instead draped her arm over his shoulders, pulling him nearer. He grinned. Larry was clinging to her back so she had an arm free. Maple nodded to the others to follow and they each rose, Ludwig looking suspicious of her motives.

"You're King now, Ludwig. How it must feel…" Syrup gently said to him, trying to put him at ease.

"I can hardly enjoy it vhen mein fazher is not even in his _grave_," Ludwig replied, gloomily looking down.

"I never _expected_ you to be enjoying it," she answered. He started, looking up at her in surprise. She was sharp, he would give her that.

SMB

Soon enough Syrup came down from tucking all of the children in. "What was _that_ display about?" Wario questioned dubiously.

She paused, affectionate smile falling. After a moment she replied, "I promised to Bowser I would care for his children if he… if he didn't make it… He saved my life. I owed him _that_ much at least."

"Well I have good news and bad news," E. Gadd said.

"Good news first, please," Waluigi begged. Goodness knew they could _use_ some. After losing Rosa, Kamek, Kammy, and then _Bowser_? It was almost too much to take _in_.

"I know how to cure this," E. Gadd replied.

They all cheered, say for Luigi who was skeptical. When E. Gadd made statements like this, they were always followed by something he didn't want to hear. "The bad news?" Luigi tightly questioned, immediately sobering the others.

"The last ingredients I need aren't in Boo Woods," E. Gadd answered. "I need a party to go get them, mix them up properly, and then let the mist spill it will form out of its container and enter the air. After that it should take about a _week_ for everything to get back to normal. It spreads fast and works instantaneously, which means the closer the land is the quicker the infected are cured. So, who wants to volunteer?"

There was silence all around. Finally Syrup said, "I can't leave the children, and I won't have them going out there on some madman's quest. I promised to protect them and I will _keep_ that promise."

"I'll-a go," Mario said.

"I'm-a right there _with_ you, bro," Luigi stated.

"Me _too_, cuz!" Stanley excitedly chimed, hope filling him. He would get his father back, and _Pauline_!

"Whatever," Wario said, shrugging. Then he could get his factory up and running again with Mona and Ashley and everyone back, _especially_ Mona.

"Fine," Waluigi grumbled. Besides, he hadn't seen Rosalina being attacked. Maybe, just _maybe_, there was a chance she was still _alive_?

"Good. Take some time to rest here and head out tomorrow," E. Gadd stated.

"Thank you, E. Gadd. We owe you more than you know. Not even Bowser's Magikoopas, a witch in training, or Ludwig and Iggy could figure out this cure," Luigi gratefully said.

"I'll tell you why. Normally you fight magic with magic, but in this case that isn't so as the magic brought about a very real disease. Diseases are cured with science. The Magikoopas and witch were probably looking for magical cures. Ludwig and Iggy probably couldn't figure it out because they had nothing to _study_."

"Wait, how did _you_ get something to study?" Waluigi questioned suspiciously.

"I have my ways, my boy," E. Gadd replied. "Run along to bed now. You all have a big day ahead of you." They nodded in agreement and each one headed off to bed.

SMB

The next morning Ludwig watched silently as Mario, Luigi, Waluigi, Wario, and Stanley were packing their rucksacks with supplies. "If we don't come back, this can-a be your new home," Luigi remarked pessimistically, catching the Prince's—King's now, he supposed—eyes. He might as well do one last nice gesture for someone before he went off to die; and Luigi felt full _well_ that this would be a suicide mission. Waluigi wasn't too optimistic about it _either_. In fact, he was getting his affairs in order. Not that he had many affairs to _settle_. The last of his family was going out more likely than not to die. Waluigi had no friends, no children, no _anything_ to leave his things to. Piranha Plants couldn't do much with Walu's things. The purple clad man grumbled, dissatisfied with how his life had turned out. It was just his luck.

Ludwig nodded a thanks to Luigi. What else _could_ he do? The eldest Koopaling closed his eyes tightly and swallowed over a lump in his throat, the memories of his father's actions still fresh in his mind. Why did you have to go, father, he wondered? It was funny. He'd never once thought in a million _years_ that he would _feel_ this way come his father's death… But for the first time in years and years he felt _afraid_. He felt like a small child again, nowhere near ready for the responsibilities that had suddenly been cast on him. You see, with all the Kings and Queens and Princesses and Princes and whatnot gone, this world was greatly lacking. The lands would need rulers. Most of the rulers had had no heirs. Peach, Daisy, and _Rosalina_ certainly hadn't.

If this world was to survive, it was up to _him_ to place his siblings in positions of power over the lands that were left un-ruled. All the lands that were gone would need guidance, and now would be a _perfect_ time for him, the new King of the Koopas—it still sounded so strange to his own ears; he was _King_, and he wasn't sure whether he liked it or _not_—to take them over. Finally something worked for them in obtaining that goal… But why had the price had to be so _high_…? Ludwig sighed. He supposed he would have to cast allotments, as his father had done. The three eldest under him would get first dibs, of course. Ludwig now sat on _Bowser's_ throne, and he _knew_ the power he possessed. He _knew_ how much weight was on his shoulders.

SMB

Mario, Luigi, Waluigi, Wario, and Stanley finished packing some rucksacks with supplies. "We're-a gonna be back, Luigi," Mario assured, glancing at his little sibling protectively.

"Whatever you say, bro," Luigi doubtfully replied. Still, he could use the reassurance he supposed.

"And _we'll_ watch over the last of the Dragon Koopas, the heirs to the Darklands," E. Gadd said, looking towards the Koopalings whom he'd decided to dub Dragon Koopas because of the ability to breathe fire that Ludwig and Junior displayed. That and they were bigger than normal Koopas. Heirs to the Darklands… E. Gadd thought this statement over. Humph, more like heirs to the _world_. The Professor looked suspiciously towards Bowser's children. He wondered; did they _know_ the power they possessed? They were the last royalty left in the _land_ say for the ruler of the Flower Kingdom, Prince Haru. He hoped they didn't. That could be very bad in the long run.

"Before we go, who gets what land?" Waluigi questioned Ludwig quite suddenly.

E. Gadd cursed under his breath. Had Waluigi _had_ to bring up that fact? Now the Koopalings who _didn't_ realize their position _would_. Ludwig let loose with a string of curses at the purple hatted man in German, luckily a language only E. Gadd knew; well Luigi too, possibly. Luigi was surprisingly multi-lingual. As if confirming it, Luigi's eyes grew wide in horror.

On realizing the weight of what Waluigi's question meant, the others Koopalings looked sharply at Ludwig, instantly intrigued. "We'll talk about this later," Syrup warned them, already feeling stressed with all that was happening.

"No; now. This needs to be settled before things get any worse," Wario stated. Honestly, though, he was just interested to hear who their new rulers would be should this never be _fixed_.

SMB

Ludwig was silent. Finally he replied, "We will see, _won't_ we."

"Ludwig rules all of the Koopa Kingdom now. There are lots of lands left, but I guess we should focus on the big ones. The little ones we can merge into the bigger areas of power as needed. Since that's the case, _I'll_ take _Dinosaur_ Land, Kingdom, whatever," Lemmy quietly said. They were some of the first words he'd spoken since… since Bowser…

"Brother, give me the Chai Kingdom, Daisy's land. It's mostly desert, I'm used to desert," Roy said to Ludwig. After all, Ludwig didn't have to feel like he had to do this alone.

"Who vill take Kong Country?" Ludwig questioned gently, looking his siblings over.

"_I_ can, I've always loved jungle," Iggy replied. Besides, as the fourth born he got dibs.

"Ze Bean Bean Kingdom?" Ludwig asked, grateful for how eager his siblings were to help and work with him on this. For once, he wryly added.

"_I'll_ take the Beanbean Kingdom," Wendy stated when no one else spoke up to volunteer. Not that they would. Her eldest brother's words hadn't been a question. They had been more of an order, and he had expected her to step up and take her allotment in turn.

"Now ve need a taker far ze Waffle Kingdom," Ludwig said, looking pointedly at Morton.

"_Me_! I _love_ waffles!" Morton exclaimed, eager to take up his brother's offer; and in a way it _was_ Ludwig offering him the Waffle Kingdom more than it was him _volunteering_ for it.

"I'll take the Mushroom Kingdom, Ludwig. It's mostly grassy, and I've had experience ruling the Grass Lands," Larry stated.

Ludwig nodded. "What of Isle Delfino?" he asked.

"I can do it, Ludwig! I _know_ that place! It was the first adventure daddy… daddy ever took me on…" Junior said, voice cracking at the memory of his father. The rest of them all looked sadly down.

"You vill have it, Junior," Ludwig vowed softly.

"What about Rosalina's observatory?" Wendy asked.

"It's lost, now. Ze Star Spirits vill appoint a new Cosmic Queen vhen ze time iz right and anozher worthy of the title comes. Until zen it is not our concern," Ludwig replied.

"And as long as you children are at peace with each _other_, this _world_ will be at peace," Syrup said. That was going to be a very difficult job to _do_ for her part, keeping them from destroying one another when they finally began to vie for power, as Koopas tended to. "And I'll watch over you always."

"Then they'll do just fine. Perhaps they would do fine _regardless_," a voice suddenly said, and all heads turned with gasps. There, emerging from the woods, was none other than _Bowser_!

SMB

"Daddy!" Junior screamed. Instantly he was across the field and in his sire's arms, followed shortly after by all of his siblings.

"You're alive, you're alive!" Larry sobbed, hugging his father tightly. Bowser grunted in pain but held them back. Truth be told, he had quite a number of broken bones and numerous other injuries. By what miracle he'd avoided being infected was _beyond_ him.

"Let him go, let him go! He's hurt!" Syrup immediately ordered the children. They gasped, releasing him. She hurried to the Koopa King, who sank to his knees weakly. "Bowser," she said, kneeling before him and cupping his giant cheek in a hand, examining closely for any signs of the infection in him.

"Not infected, just beat up pretty bad," Bowser growled.

"It's… it's good you're-a back, Bowser," Mario reluctantly admitted. With the world falling apart, _any_ familiar face returning from death would almost reduce him to tears, like now.

"What Kingdom will _Ludwig_ Rule now, if daddy's back ruling Koopa Kingdom?" Junior questioned.

"Let him _have_ Koopa Kingdom. It would seem I've been usurped. If the rest of my children are ruling _he_ might as well. Unless he rules the Cosmos in Rosalina's stead, let him _take_ control of what he's rightfully won," Bowser stated in all seriousness. Ludwig swallowed over a tightening in his throat. He couldn't _remember_ the last time he had felt so important and capable in his father's eyes. Bowser grunted in pain, clutching a badly bleeding injury that he hadn't been able to properly bind.

"Come inside, I'll take care of you," Syrup stated.

"With my help," E. Gadd added. "We'd best insure that injury there wasn't from a bite or scratch. Can't just take your word for it now, _can_ we?"

"No one who's bitten has lasted more than a few _seconds_. I've been out there _overnight_," Bowser grunted in protest. "I doubt I'm infected."

"No chances. You might be immune, but then again you might _not_," E. Gadd replied.

"It would explain why none of the _Koopas_ have been turned, if he's immune," Stanley remarked.

"_Parakarry_ did," Iggy pointed out.

"Parakarry wasn't a _Dragon_ Koopa," E. Gadd stated. "It may just be _your_ species, Bowser. Hurry, inside all, let's leave the Star Warriors to their saving of the world." Obediently they followed. With that the five cousins started off to find the ingredients E. Gadd needed.


	20. A Cure is Released!

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Third up today.)

A Cure Is Released!

They walked through the eerily silent woods, their guards up. "This is a _bad_ idea," Luigi remarked.

"You're telling _us_?" Waluigi asked. "We don't even know where half of these things _are_."

"Luckily there's only three," Wario said.

"I can tell you where _each_ of them grows. I have a greenhouse, remember?" Stanley replied.

"Lead the way, Stanley," Mario said.

"Contrary to what Professor Gadd believes, we can probably find one of the listed ingredients in these woods without too much trouble. After that we're going to have to go to the mountains. The third one we'll find in Ice Land," Stanley said.

"Found number one," Wario said. The others stopped and turned. Their mouths dropped on seeing Wario picking his nose and looking down at one of the very ingredients they were _after_!

"No way," Stanley said in disbelief.

"He has the nose of a bloodhound when seeking treasure," Mario remarked, shrugging. Honestly, he wasn't too surprised at Wario's ability to sniff it out.

"The _rest_ won't be so easy, though, "Luigi remarked. Not only would they have to survive _getting_ there, they would have to survive going through the lands, finding their destinations, and then getting back _afterwards_, all in a land overrun by Infected.

SMB

They panted and gasped as they fled through the Mountains. Thankfully there weren't many settlements up here, but there were enough to give them problems. Wario turned and shoved a boulder down the hill. They heard the satisfying screams of infected being plowed over and sent away. Finally the five could relax. "You do this for a _living_?" Stanley panted to Mario. Sure he could understand a _few_ adventures here and there, but all the _time_?

"It's-a as natural as breathing," Mario replied, shrugging.

"Except for the _zombie_ part!" Waluigi snapped sharply.

"Let's-a go already," Wario prompted, getting impatient. "The flower's-a _gotta_ be around here _somewhere_."

Luigi looked around. "Ah ha!" he exclaimed, pointing. The others followed his finger and gasped, seeing it.

"Who can _reach_ that?" Mario asked.

"I can," Stanley replied. Immediately he began to climb.

"Careful!" Luigi called up to his cousin.

"Careful, sure," Stanley replied. Finally he reached it and plucked the flower. He sighed in relief, glad to be done with that. Just then the rocks broke under his hands and he fell with a cry of terror.

"Stanley!" they all cried out. Wario darted forward and caught his cousin in his arms.

"G-good catch, Wario," Stanley gasped, pale and shaken.

"Two down, one to go," Waluigi said, squinting into the distance. He could see the outline of Ice Land on the horizon. Great, _another_ two days' journey. They'd already been gone four days, and how they'd managed to _last_ so long was beyond _him_.

SMB

The five traipsed through the snowstorm, freezing and in a line. "Stay together!" Mario called to them. If they lost each other in this, they were _dead_ men.

"Th-there's a-a river th-that runs through this land!" Wario called. "I-if we-a get separated, find and follow it!"

"Okeydokey," Luigi agreed.

"Yeah, yeah," Waluigi grumbled.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Stanley moaned, deeply disturbed by the thought.

All at once Mario screamed. "Mario!" Luigi cried out, seeing his brother's terrified look!

"It's an avalanche! Run!" Mario shouted at them. They heard the roaring and gasped, pale, as a wall of snow tore down the hill towards them. They shrieked in terror and turned to flee. Too late. The next moment the wall of snow had engulfed them all!

"No!" the five exclaimed.

SMB

There was silence. Nothing stirred. For a long time it looked as if this was Game Over. All at once a hand burst through the snow. A moment later a yellow hatted head emerged, coughing and gasping for air. "Ouch," Wario groaned, dragging his badly injured body out of the snow. Shivering, he looked around. "Waluigi, Mario, Stanley, Luigi?!" he called out. No answers. Wario cursed under his breath and began crawling across the snow. Waluigi hadn't been far from him, so maybe he was close. "Waluigi!" he called. He stopped, gasping. He saw a hand sticking out of the snow. "Stanley!" he exclaimed, recognizing that the arm attached was too thick to be Waluigi's. Stanley had been about this far from him. Quickly he began digging and digging. He found the head.

Stanley was blue but conscious. His eyes flickered open slowly. "W-W-W-Wario?" he weakly questioned.

"Easy, I'm-a getting you out of here," Wario murmured, quickly digging around Stanley until he could pull him out of the snow.

"Wh-wh-where are the others?" Stanley questioned.

"We gotta _find_ them," Wario replied; or rather _he_ would have to find them. Stanley was in no shape to dig around for the others.

All at once Wario let loose with a huge Wario Waft! Stanley looked disgusted. Nonetheless the snow within a ten foot radius had been melted down to the earth and now Waluigi was clearly seen. "_Ew_," Stanley said, plugging his nose.

Waluigi sat up like a shot with a gasp for breath then grimaced. He coughed, covering his mouth. He'd hoped for _fresh_ air when he broke out, not _this_. "Dang it, Wario!" he shot sharply.

"I was too lazy to dig," Wario explained, shrugging it off. Besides, time had been running short. He looked around. "Where's-a Mario and Luigi.

"I don't know," Waluigi replied. Stanley suddenly looked misery stricken. Waluigi noticed. "Stanley, do _you_ know?" he questioned uncertainly.

Stanley looked up at Wario and Waluigi in shock and misery as realization dawned on his features. "They… they went over the cliff," he answered. "Oh Star Spirits have mercy! They're dead, they went over the cliff, they're dead, they're dead!" Wario and Waluigi were pale at this and Stanley began sobbing. Neither Wario nor Waluigi could move.

SMB

"Mario?! Mario!" Luigi called desperately, digging through the snow urgently. "Come on, bro!" He caught his breath on seeing a glimpse of red. Quickly he scrambled over to it and furiously started to dig again. "Mario!" he exclaimed, uncovering his brother's head.

"Luigi," Mario's weak voice replied. His eyes flickered and Luigi gasped in relief.

"I'm-a here, bro," Luigi soothed, hurriedly digging Mario out.

"Wh-what about th-the others?" Mario questioned.

Luigi's eyes instantly became filled with pain. He closed them tightly and swallowed. "B-Bro, I think… I think they're dead…" he answered. Mario caught his breath and went white, misery filling his eyes.

"_All_ of them?" he squeaked. Luigi burst into tears. Numbly Mario held his brother back.

SMB

"I can't see him!" Stanley shouted over the blizzard. "We have to go _after_ him!"

"Too risky! We need to find that ingredient. We can search for him later!" Wario replied. Waluigi had drifted out of sight. "Walu can take care of himself!"

"Just like _Mario_ could?" Stanley demanded.

Wario instantly stiffened at this. After a long moment he replied, glancing back, "Walu will find us, _trust_ me." Stanley looked down but followed nonetheless.

"_Waluigi_ time!" Waluigi suddenly cheered, popping out of the snow from nowhere, holding an ingredient and making Stanley scream in alarm, falling back. Wario, used to his sibling's unpredictable behavior, wasn't overly surprised.

"We head back, then," Wario replied.

"We have to search for Mario and Luigi!" Waluigi argued. "We need their help. We hardly got here with all _five_ of us! Three won't stand a _chance_! If they're alive they'll follow the river!"

"It's all we _can_ do," Stanley pointed out to Wario over the howling wind.

"Fine," Wario relented.

SMB

"We're alone now, bro," Luigi sadly said, head bowed low.

"Don't give up, Luigi. We need to save-a the world!" Mario insisted. "We can mourn them later, right now we don't have _time_!" Besides, if they wept their tears would freeze in their eyes or on their faces. The temperature was steadily dropping. "Let's-a follow the river. Maybe they're still alive! Maybe the ingredient is along the banks!"

"Okay," Luigi agreed, struggling to shove through the waist deep snow after his brother.

Ten minutes later they saw nothing. "Where _is_ it?" Mario asked in frustration.

"Mario, in this snow we could be walking _on_ it and not notice if it was-a frozen over!" Luigi replied. Mario inwardly cursed. His brother had a point.

"At least we're on top of the cliff again," Mario replied. "The river flows parallel to the edge!"

"Mario, there it is!" Luigi exclaimed, pointing out the narrow band. Quickly he raced towards it.

"Luigi, wait, be careful! Weegee!" Mario called, hurrying to keep up to his brother. Luigi grinned, sliding to a stop next to the water.

"It's here, Mario!" Luigi called. "It's-a…" All at once there was a crack and Luigi screamed in terror, plunging into the icy and fast running waters!

"Luigi!" Mario screamed, racing to the bank.

"Help, help, help, help!" Luigi shouted desperately, feeling the torrent rapids carrying him farther and farther from his brother. He felt himself blacking out, succumbing to hypothermia. Oh Star Spirits, he would _drown_ here! "Mario!" he shrieked desperately one last time before blackness took him.

"Luigi!" Mario cried, falling to his knees and reaching futilely out to his brother who was sinking beneath the rapids. Before he could stop himself he was sobbing helplessly, screaming curses to the gods. He hardly cared that his face was freezing with his tears. He'd lost his brother, he'd lost his _brother_… He was all alone now… He was alone… Dead, dead, dead, they were all _dead_! _No_! This wasn't _happening_!

SMB

"Waluigi, Wario!" Stanley shouted desperately as they followed the river. You see, in its waters he'd seen a still green form. Quickly Waluigi and Wario raced to his side. "Look!" Stanley exclaimed, pointing at the figure being swept towards them.

"Is that…" Waluigi began.

"Luigi!" Wario exclaimed. "You two, build a fire! I'm-a goin' in!" Wario ordered.

"Wha, Wario, wait!" Waluigi exclaimed. Too late. Wario had plunged into the frigid river and was swimming towards his cousin. Waluigi, shocked, instantly sent out vines to wrap around Wario. When Wario reached Luigi, his brother would be too shocked by the cold to swim back. _He_ would have to reel them _in_.

"I've got the fire!" Stanley exclaimed, quickly throwing down a bunch of sticks he'd gathered on their journey. He ate a Fire Flower and shot a fireball at the twigs. They immediately ignited and Stanley began adding more wood. He had become the designated wood carrier after they'd used up all the supplies in his rucksack. It was a stroke of brilliance on Mario's part to suggest they collect wood for fires; albeit it was a strain on Stanley's back.

Waluigi reeled Wario and Luigi in. Luigi was barely breathing. "Is he _alive_?" Stanley asked in horror.

"I-I-I-I-I-I…" Wario chattered.

"Get by the fire!" Waluigi barked, shoving his brother over by the flames before dragging Luigi's cold body over there as well. Waluigi quickly listened to Luigi's chest. "He's-a breathing," Waluigi assured. Stanley breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you have healing coins, Wario?" Waluigi demanded.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y…" Wario chattered again. Waluigi growled impatiently. He'd assume Wario was saying yes. He quickly brought out a handful and dropped them on Luigi.

"M-Mario, wh-where are you?" Luigi whimpered, his eyes flickering open. He cried out in alarm on seeing Waluigi. "Waluigi!" he exclaimed before shivering again. Stanley quickly led Luigi to the fire. "Am I dead?" Luigi questioned.

"It was touch and go," Wario was finally able to say.

"M-Mario is still out there," Luigi concernedly said.

"He'll find us, then," Stanley replied. "Right now we have to keep you and Wario _alive_."

SMB

"Luigi!" Mario miserably called, hoping against hope he'd hear his brother's voice again. "Stanley, Waluigi, Wario!" he called hopelessly. Gods, he wanted to _die_. If he didn't find them soon, he _would_. "Luigi!" he called again, helpless to do anything else. He felt like his throat and lungs were freezing. They probably _were_. He didn't have much time left.

"You look exhausted, cuz," a voice suddenly said. Mario started, catching his breath and sharply looking up. There stood an all too familiar yellow hatted figure!

"Wario!" Mario exclaimed. Before he could stop himself he was hugging his most hated rival so tightly it was like he'd never let him _go_. Surprisingly enough, all Wario did was hold him lightly back. "We've-a got a fire going. Waluigi, Stanley, and I found the ingredient and then fished Luigi from the river. He's-a gonna be fine."

"You're alive!" Mario exclaimed gratefully. Wario would never admit it, but truth be told he'd felt exactly like Mario did _now_ when they'd found _Luigi_ alive.

"It's a miracle we all _are_," Wario said, shrugging. Quickly he led Mario back to the others.

SMB

Meanwhile, Syrup, Bowser, E. Gadd, and the Koopalings were gaping in horror at the hundreds of infected that had found their way to Luigi's Mansion! "How did zey _find_ us?!" Ludwig demanded in terror.

"All the fighting _you_ eight were doing you're really _asking_?!" Bowser sharply shot. Ludwig cringed, guiltily shifting from foot to foot.

E. Gadd shrieked in pain as he was bitten. "Get back, get back!" Syrup screamed, shoving the children up the stairs and onto the roof. The rest of the house was overrun. Bowser breathed a column of fire down the steps, scorching a large number of them. He slammed the trapdoor to the roof down and pushed something heavy on top.

"We're gonna die, we're gonna die!" Wendy sobbed, clinging to Iggy in terror. Larry was holding Lemmy tightly and wailing. Nothing could calm him down. Morton was screaming and crying as he held Roy with all his strength, actually making Roy wince in pain. Ludwig himself was clutching Junior close to his chest as the youngest shrieked bloody murder weeping nonstop. Bowser, pale, swiftly went to his children and gathered them all close, holding them tightly.

"You're _not_ going to die!" Syrup insisted. Not on _her_ watch. "Bowser, take this!" She shoved a Magic Lamp into Bowser's hands.

"What is it?" King Koopa questioned immediately.

"A Magic Lamp. I'm going to distract them and you're going to wish your children to a safe place! The genie inside is weak. He can't cure this plague, but he can save your little ones," Syrup replied.

"And what of us?" Bowser questioned, knowing already what the answer would be.

She was quiet. "Only eight at a time," she finally admitted. Bowser wouldn't sacrifice a child so that he could escape, right? He _couldn't_, _could_ he?

"Nein, ve von't _leave_ you!" Ludwig insisted to his father and to Syrup.

"Children, you have no _choice_," Bowser stated gravely, gazing at the lamp. His offspring would be safe. That was all that mattered to him anymore. Syrup's eyes softened and she breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't going to try and save his own skin…

"It will be an honor to die alongside you," she remarked to him.

"Likewise," Bowser replied.

"Bowser!" a voice suddenly yelled from below. Startled, the Royal family and Syrup looked over the edge. It was Mario! "Nobody's _dying_!"

"Mario!" Bowser exclaimed. Mario and his relatives were _back_! Just as the trap door was burst open, Mario threw down the mist container. Instantly the cure began to spread through the air. "Get behind me!" Bowser warned his children, shoving Syrup as well as them back behind him into a corner. If the mist didn't reach them in time, he didn't intend to let anyone but _himself_ fall to the infection. Of course he'd be cured in a few seconds, with luck, but still. He roared in pain as the wall attacked him.

"No!" Syrup screamed.

"Daddy!" Larry shrieked in terror.

"_Pop_!" Roy cried out. Suddenly everything stopped…


	21. Where's Rosa?

**Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic**

(A/N: Fourth up today and last chapter overall. I hope you enjoyed. Again, it was my first time with a Mario zombie fiction. Third time with a 'zombie' fic plot overall. There's quite a twist at the end, though.)

Where's Rosa?

Citizens from far and wide cheered the miracle victory of the Pentameter. The survivors stood grinning together. Soon enough their comrades who had fallen joined them as well, grinning just as widely. "You _did_ it! I _knew_ you would!" Spike praised, enveloping his four nephews and his son in a large hug.

"Parakarry!" Wendy exclaimed in delight, seeing her newfound friend. She ran to him, hugging him tightly. He grinned, hugging her back.

"Ashley," Ludwig timidly greeted, blushing at her presence. Ashley smirked, holding Red's hand. Suddenly she hugged Ludwig tightly.

"See, Red, this is Ludwig, the one I told you about," she introduced.

"You better treat her right," Red said to Ludwig.

"It's not like we're dating," Ashley snorted.

"Heavens no. As if I could be bozhered," Ludwig agreed, folding his arms and turning his back on her. Of course this was followed by the two of them exchanging awkward and uncertain looks.

"Peach-Hime!" Mario exclaimed in Japanese. Of course Hime was the _only_ Japanese he knew, seeing as it meant Princess, but still. Mario frowned. Honestly the only reason he'd bothered to learn _Hime_ was because Prince _Haru_ used to call Peach that. Peach had liked it and Mario had been furiously jealous. Mario raced to her and hugged her tightly, kissing her. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Mario, you did it!" she cheered.

"Luigi!" Daisy exclaimed, racing into Luigi's arms. He cried out, getting knocked down by the sudden force of her body against his. He burst into laughter right after and held her tightly as they lay on the ground grinning like fools.

"Boss, boss, you saved us!" Mona cheered, running to Wario and throwing herself onto him, kissing his cheek.

"Bah!" Wario replied simply, shoving her back. She looked slightly hurt and pulled away. Before she could blink, though, she was suddenly in his arms. He was hugging her of his own free will, she excitedly realized. She grinned widely, relishing being in his embrace.

"Pauline!" Stanley exclaimed, taking the woman close to him. "H-How about that date?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" she cheered excitedly. The Kongs were all ooking and eeking joyously. Birdo and Yoshi were clapping and Toad and Toadette were cheering excitedly. E. Gadd was grinning from ear to ear. Polterpup and Wario's Hen, the Hen of which had hidden away when the mansion was invaded and the dog of which had vanished back to wherever it was he'd come from, excitedly rejoiced at the victory of their masters.

SMB

Meanwhile, King Boo and Petey Piranha watched from a distance, smirking. Bowser came up next to them. "You're not going down?" Petey asked him.

"I'm not a welcome sight there," Bowser replied. "Not my thing. Let my children relish in it."

"You pulled off quite the feat, getting all of your children through alive," King Boo remarked.

"And getting Kammy and Kamek back, finally. I was getting sick of bellowing orders to no one," Bowser replied, watching the two Magikoopas hovering protectively around the eight heirs.

"Is everyone there?" Petey questioned.

"Not everyone," Bowser replied.

"No?" Petey asked.

"There was a woman, a pirate. Captain Maple Syrup, I believe. This wasn't _her_ thing _either_. She's probably robbing Wario as we speak," Bowser replied, smirking fondly at the thought of the free-spirited pirate queen. "She protected my children, you know."

"Why would she protect _your_ children?" King Boo questioned.

"She owed me," Bowser vaguely replied, shrugging it off.

"Where's the Star Princess?" Petey wondered curiously.

"I assume at her _Observatory_," Bowser replied, shrugging.

"Then why are the lumas searching for her _here_?" Boo asked, pointing at the star children floating around. Bowser's eyes narrowed guardedly. Why _were_ they looking? He paled. Was she _dead_? He knew that some civilians of this world hadn't survived period, after all. No, that couldn't _be_. Humph, it was none of _his_ business _anyway_. Let _Mario_ worry about saving princesses in distress.

SMB

"Rosalina's missing," Waluigi worriedly remarked to his cousins and uncle, as well as Peach, Mona, and Daisy.

"I know. I can't reach her," Peach concernedly said.

"Do you think…" Mona fearfully began.

"No! She's _not_ dead. She _can't_ be," Waluigi shot sharply.

"_I_ can't reach her _either_," Daisy uncertainly declared.

"Mona, what about that device you whipped up, the tracker?" Wario asked.

Mona pulled it out and opened it wide. She paled, covering her mouth as dismay came to her eyes. "She-she doesn't _register_."

"What does that mean?" Spike demanded.

"It… It means she's _dead_," Mona numbly said.

"Tell me there's an 'or' to that statement," Mario begged, fear and pain and worry filling his eyes.

"She could be off radar, I suppose, but I don't see _how_. This covers _everything_," Mona confusedly replied, scanning the world.

"She's alive, she _has_ to be!" Luigi insisted. Waluigi was silent as a grave, still as a statue, and his expression was blank. "She's alive…" he heard Luigi say once more, more to convince _himself_ than anyone _else_.

Waluigi looked numbly up at the sky, eyes becoming ever so slightly distressed and worried. "Dove sei, mia rosa?" he questioned softly. Where are you, my rose?

SMB

Rosalina's eyes slowly flickered open and softly she groaned. Wh-where _was_ she? The last thing she remembered was lying in the snow and a figure she couldn't make out coming towards her. She'd seen it was a man, by his form she was _sure_ of _that_, but beyond this she'd seen nothing… Nothing but darkness. Slowly she sat up, wincing in pain. "Mama?" Luma softly asked.

She looked over at her Luma. "Where am I?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Luma replied uncertainly.

"Who brought me here?" she asked.

"A scary man, mama," Luma answered. "I was flying to find help and I reached a far off place, where he'd hidden away. I don't know why he was there. I said, 'Mama needs help! Help mama!' He looked at me funny. I couldn't see his face. He never stopped smiling. It was the biggest smile I've ever _seen_. It was scary, mama. He was scanning me with his magic, I _felt_ him. He was very powerful. He said, 'She needs help, does she? Well then, _take_ me to your mama.' So I flew away and he followed, I don't know how he kept up, but he was muttering something under his breath about it being unlikely that you were her, whoever 'her' was. Then he saw you and I felt such a change, mama. I can't _describe_ it, it was so big. He said, 'At last I've found you,' and some other things. He was as tall if not taller than Luigi, but I don't know if that was his real height or if he was actually shorter or taller. He picked you up in his arms and floated away with you. I followed."

"At last I've found you…" she mused confusedly, brow furrowing in thought.

"Yes. He said he thought he never _would_," Luma confirmed, recalling a bit more.

"I sense something dark here," Rosalina grimly remarked.

"The infection is gone, mama. The Star Warriors saved us _all_! I can go back and find them and they can help you!" Luma exclaimed.

"Am I in danger?" Rosalina questioned.

"I don't know," Luma answered, but he didn't like this.

Good, because neither did _she_… But somehow she didn't think she _was_ in peril… Nonetheless, better safe than sorry. "Luma, find Mario and the others. Go swiftly, my dear." Luma nodded and quickly zipped off.

SMB

Rosalina watched after the luma as he vanished into the distance. Having little else to do, she decided to explore. She was certainly no _prisoner_ here, she'd deduced. The doors weren't locked, after all. She walked out cautiously, prepared for anything. What _was_ this? Who had her savior been? She entered a large room and caught her breath. A Throne Room! And sitting upon the throne was a harlequin figure. Slowly he looked up on sensing her presence. His expression, in a tragic manifestation, suddenly flipped to an eerie yet childish smile. "Rosalina… to say your name again… It flows from my lips like honey running down a slope, and sweetens my palate. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before I go any further I must know, I _must_… Do you remember me?"

She squinted curiously, gazing into the slits that were his eyes. An image came to her mind, then, of an all too familiar and ghostly memory from her past. She caught her breath, paling. Her eyes slowly widened in disbelief, her lips parting in horror, dismay, and so many other emotions that they couldn't _hope_ to be named… And she breathed as she backed away, knees weakening, "No, no, it _can't_ be! It _can't_…! It's you… Oh Star Spirits, it's _you_…" The unsettling smile still planted there, he rose from his throne and walked slowly towards her. Overwhelmed, she could hardly _move_. As he drew near, as his fingers brushed her cheek, she could take no more. She blacked out, collapsing into his arms weakly.

He looked down at her and picked her up bridal style. "I know, Ethereal Queen, I know how this must feel. But you're safe now, you're home," he said. Darkly he laughed, carrying her back to her room.


End file.
